How do animals and people get rabies?
There are several ways the rabies virus is spread. The most common way is being bitten by an animal infected with the virus. Rabies is spread when broken skin or mucous membranes (skin found in the eyes, nose and mouth) comes into contact with infected matter (saliva or nerve tissue) from a rabid animal (i.e., scratches, touching drool or brain material). Once the rabies virus has entered an animal’s body, it can follow the nervous system and eventually reach the brain, causing an infection. The virus then travels to the salivary glands and is shed in the saliva of the infected animal. Rabies can then be spread to other animals and people. The time between contact with the rabies virus (an exposure) and when visible signs of illness first appear (rabies infection in the brain) varies from a few days to several months.
