Rabies

Find out why Mayo Clinic is the right place for your health care. Make an appointment..

Find a directory of doctors and departments at all Mayo Clinic campuses. Visit now..

See how Mayo Clinic research and clinical trials advance the science of medicine and improve patient care. Explore now..

Educators at Mayo Clinic train tomorrow’s leaders to deliver compassionate, high-value, safe patient care. Choose a degree..

Explore Mayo Clinic’s many resources and see jobs available for medical professionals. Get updates..

Your support accelerates powerful innovations in patient care, research and education. Give today..

Rabies is a deadly virus spread to people from the saliva of infected animals. The rabies virus is usually transmitted through a bite.

Animals most likely to transmit rabies in the United States include bats, coyotes, foxes, raccoons and skunks. In developing countries of Africa and Southeast Asia, stray dogs are the most likely to spread rabies to people.

Once a person begins showing signs and symptoms of rabies, the disease is nearly always fatal. For this reason, anyone who may have a risk of contracting rabies should receive rabies vaccines for protection.

The first symptoms of rabies may be very similar to the flu and may last for days. Later signs and symptoms may include:

Seek immediate medical care if you’re bitten by any animal, or exposed to an animal suspected of having rabies. Based on your injuries and the situation in which the exposure occurred, you and your doctor can decide whether you should receive treatment to prevent rabies.

Even if you aren’t sure whether you’ve been bitten, seek medical attention. For instance, a bat that flies into your room while you’re sleeping may bite you without waking you. If you awake to find a bat in your room, assume you’ve been bitten. Also, if you find a bat near a person who can’t report a bite, such as a small child or a person with a disability, assume that person has been bitten.

Rabies infection is caused by the rabies virus. The virus is spread through the saliva of infected animals. Infected animals can spread the virus by biting another animal or a person. In rare cases, rabies can be spread when infected saliva gets into an open wound or the mucous membranes, such as the mouth or eyes. This could occur if an infected animal were to lick an open cut on your skin.

Any mammal (an animal that suckles its young) can transmit the rabies virus. The animals most likely to transmit the rabies virus to people include:

In rare cases, the virus has been transmitted to tissue and organ transplant recipients from an infected organ.

Factors that can increase your risk of rabies include:

To reduce your risk of coming in contact with rabid animals:

Consider the rabies vaccine if you’re traveling. If you’re traveling to a country where rabies is common and you’ll be there for an extended period of time, ask your doctor whether you should receive the rabies vaccine.

This includes traveling to remote areas where medical care is difficult to find.

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic.

Any use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy linked below.

A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. “Mayo,” “Mayo Clinic,” “MayoClinic.org,” “Mayo Clinic Healthy Living,” and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information:
verify here.

Rabies

Research & References of Rabies|A&C Accounting And Tax Services
Source

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us