Rabies is caught when the rabies virus in an animal’s saliva gets into your body, almost always through a bite that breaks the skin. It is very serious but also very preventable if you act quickly after a possible exposure.

What rabies is

Rabies is a viral infection that attacks the nervous system of mammals, including humans. Once symptoms appear, it is almost always fatal, which is why prevention and urgent care after exposure are critical.

  • Caused by the rabies virus (often shortened as RABV).
  • Affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).
  • Seen worldwide, but human cases are most common in parts of Asia and Africa.

Main ways you catch rabies

You do not “catch” rabies casually like a cold; it requires specific contact with saliva or brain/nervous tissue from an infected animal.

1. Bites (most common)

  • A bite from a rabid animal that breaks the skin is by far the main way people get rabies.
  • In the U.S., bats are the animal most often linked to human rabies, while raccoons, skunks and foxes are important carriers.
  • In many other countries, dog bites are the main source of human rabies.

2. Saliva into broken skin or mucous membranes

Even without a classic “bite,” you can be exposed if infectious saliva or certain tissues get into your body.

  • Saliva or brain/nervous tissue from a rabid animal entering:
    • An open cut or wound.
* Your eyes, nose, or mouth (mucous membranes).
  • This could be from a lick on broken skin or splashed saliva in the eye, for example.

These non‑bite exposures are possible but much less common than bites.

3. Very rare routes

There are a few unusual ways rabies has been transmitted, but these are extremely rare and typically involve special circumstances.

  • Organ or tissue transplants from a donor who had rabies but was not known to be infected.
  • Inhalation of airborne virus has only been reported in certain lab settings and cave environments and is not a normal everyday risk.

Ways you do not catch rabies

A lot of common worries about rabies involve situations that are not considered a real exposure.

You do not catch rabies from:

  • Casual contact such as touching or petting an animal, if saliva does not get into a wound or mucous membrane.
  • Contact with blood, urine, feces, or skunk spray from an animal; these are not considered infectious for rabies exposure.
  • Being near a person with rabies, touching them, or everyday contact; there are no documented routine person‑to‑person transmission cases outside of organ transplants.
  • Contact with someone who is getting rabies vaccines; the vaccine does not make them contagious.
  • Contact with clothes, bedding, or other objects that are just “contaminated” in a general way; the virus does not spread well on dry surfaces.

If there is no bite, no broken skin, and no saliva/brain tissue into eyes, mouth, nose, or a wound, it is generally not considered a rabies exposure.

What to do if you might have been exposed

Because rabies is so dangerous once symptoms start, acting quickly after a possible exposure is essential.

  1. Immediately wash the area
    • Scrub any bite or scratch with soap and lots of running water for at least 15 minutes if possible.
 * This simple step can dramatically lower the amount of virus in the wound.
  1. Seek urgent medical care
    • Go to an emergency department or urgent care the same day, especially for bat, dog, or wild animal bites.
 * A healthcare professional or local public health agency can assess whether you need rabies post‑exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
  1. Rabies shots after exposure (PEP)
    • If recommended, PEP usually includes:
      • Careful wound cleaning.
   * One dose of rabies immune globulin (antibodies) around the wound for people not previously vaccinated.

   * A short series of rabies vaccine shots over several days.

 * When given promptly after a real exposure, PEP is highly effective at preventing rabies.
  1. If a bat is involved
    • Bats can bite without leaving obvious marks, and bites may be hard to see.
 * If you wake up to a bat in your room, or find a bat in a room with a sleeping person, unattended child, or confused person, experts usually advise seeking medical guidance even if you did not notice a bite.

Prevention: how not to catch rabies

Because your question is “how do you catch rabies,” it is equally important to emphasize how to avoid ever being in that situation.

  • Vaccinate pets (dogs, cats, ferrets) according to local laws and vet advice.
  • Do not handle wild animals, especially bats, raccoons, skunks, foxes, or any animal acting strangely or aggressively.
  • Teach children not to approach or try to pet unfamiliar animals.
  • In countries where dog rabies is common, avoid stray dogs and talk to a doctor about pre‑exposure rabies vaccination if you will be in high‑risk settings (e.g., working with animals).

If you are anxious about rabies

Many people have strong health anxiety around rabies because of how serious it is, especially after reading online forums. A mental health professional or trusted doctor can help you sort out realistic risk from worry and give you strategies to handle the anxiety.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.