How is rabies transmitted?

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Rabies Homepage

• Exposure
  • What materials can spread rabies?
  • What kind of animal did you come in contact with?
    • Domestic Animals
    • Exotic Pet Species
    • Bats
    • Other wild animals
    • Wildlife reservoirs for rabies
  • What type of exposure occurred?
  • Is the animal available for testing?
• Medical care
  • Human rabies immune globulin
  • Rabies vaccine
  • Programs for uninsured and underinsured patients
• Risk for pets
• Signs and symptoms
• Transmission
  • The rabies virus
  • Exposure to the virus
  • Path of the virus
• Diagnosis
  • Diagnosis in animals and humans
  • Direct fluorescent antibody test
  • Histologic examination
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Electron microscopy
  • Amplification methods
  • Accuracy of the tests
  • Regulation of diagnostic test kits
• Prevention
  • Prevention in animals
  • Prevention in people
• Rabies in the U.S. and around the World
  • Rabies in the U.S.
    • Cost of Rabies Prevention
    • Is Rabies in your State?
      • Wild animal surveillance
      • Domestic animal surveillance
      • Human rabies surveillance
  • Rabies around the World
• Information for specific groups
  • Travelers
    • Preexposure vaccinations
    • What if I receive treatment outside the United States?
  • Veterinarians
    • What to do with an animal that has bitten a person
    • Caring for animals with potential exposure
    • Clinical signs of rabies in animals
    • Vaccines
      • Rabies Vaccines Licensed and Marketed in the U.S., 2008
    • Vaccination
    • Testing
    • Rabies in manmade or natural disasters
    • Should my staff and I be vaccinated?
  • Doctors
    • Rabies serology
    • Ante mortem testing
    • Precautions or contraindications for rabies vaccination
    • Adverse reaction
    • Management of human rabies
    • Transmission
  • Diagnostic laboratories
• Resources
  • How Can I Help?
  • ACIP recommendations
  • Vaccine and Immune Globulin Availability
  • Publications
    • Terrestrial Rabies Reservoirs in the United States, 2008
    • Rabies in Wild Animals, 1958-2008
    • Rabid Raccoons Reported in the United States, 2008
    • Rabid Skunks Reported in the United States, 2008
    • Rabid Bats Reported in the United States, 2008
    • Rabid Foxes Reported in the United States, 2008
    • Rabies in Domestic Animals, 1958-2008
    • Rabid Cats Reported in the United States, 2008
    • Rabid Dogs Reported in the United States, 2008
    • Rabid Cattle Reported in the United States, 2008
    • Terrestrial Rabies Reservoirs in the United States, 2009
    • Rabid Animals Reported in the United States during 2009
    • Rabies in Wild Animals, 1959-2009
    • Rabid Raccoons Reported in the United States during 2009
    • Rabid Skunks Reported in the United States during 2009
    • Rabid Bats Reported in the United States during 2009
    • Rabid Foxes Reported in the United States during 2009
    • Rabid Cats Reported in the United States during 2009
    • Rabid Dogs Reported in the United States during 2009
    • Rabid Cats and Dogs Reported in the United States during 2009
    • Rabies Vaccination Laws, by State
    • Terrestrial Rabies Reservoirs in the United States, 2010
    • Rabies in Wild Animals, 1960-2010
    • Rabid Raccoons Reported in the United States during 2010
    • Rabid Bats Reported in the United States during 2010
    • Rabid Skunks Reported in the United States during 2010
    • Rabid Foxes Reported in the United States during 2010
    • Rabid Cats and Dogs Reported in the United States during 2010
    • Terrestrial Rabies Reservoirs in the United States, 2011
    • Rabies in Wild Animals, 1960-2011
    • Rabid Raccoons Reported in the United States during 2011
    • Rabid Bats Reported in the United States during 2011
    • Rabid Skunks Reported in the United States during 2011
    • Rabid Foxes Reported in the United States during 2011
    • Rabid Cats and Dogs Reported in the United States during 2011
    • Terrestrial Rabies Reservoirs in the United States, 2012
    • Rabies in Wild Animals, 1983-2012
    • Rabid Raccoons Reported in the United States during 2012
    • Rabid Bats Reported in the United States during 2012
    • Rabid Skunks Reported in the United States during 2012
    • Rabid Foxes Reported in the United States during 2012
    • Rabid Cats and Dogs Reported in the United States during 2012
    • Terrestrial Rabies Reservoirs in the United States, 2013
    • Rabies in Wild Animals, 1984-2013
    • Rabid Raccoons Reported in the United States, 2013
    • Rabid Bats Reported in the United States, 2013
    • Rabid Skunks Reported in the United States, 2013
    • Rabid Foxes Reported in the United States, 2013
    • Rabid Cats and Dogs Reported in the United States, 2013
    • Terrestrial Rabies Reservoirs in the United States, 2014
    • Rabies in Wild Animals, 1983-2014
    • Rabid Raccoons Reported in the United States, 2014
    • Rabid Bats Reported in the United States, 2014
    • Rabid Skunks Reported in the United States, 2014
    • Rabid Foxes Reported in the United States, 2014
    • Rabid Cats and Dogs Reported in the United States, 2014
  • News
    • March 15, 2013: Q&A-Human Rabies Due to Organ Transplantation
    • December 12, 2012: Human Rabies Immune Globulin and Vaccine Update
    • September 19, 2012: Rabies Immune Globulin: Current Situation
    • September 7, 2012: Rabies vaccine supply
    • December 6, 2011: U.S. Soldiers and Rabies: Investigations of Post-Deployment Exposures
    • November 4, 2011: Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, 2011
    • September 30, 2011: RabAvert Rabies Vaccine Supply Limitation
    • June 13, 2011: Second Annual World Rabies Day Webinar
    • November 17, 2010: Anti-rabies Virus Conjugates Supply Update
    • July 2, 2010: Blueprint for Rabies Prevention and Control
    • May 28, 2010: Report on Human and Dog Rabies Prevention and Control
    • April 21, 2010: Limited Voluntary Recall on Rabies Vaccine Batch
    • April 20, 2010: Rabid Puppy Prompts Search
    • March 1, 2010: Assessing Haitian Patients, Immigrants, and Refugees for Rabies
    • Selection Criteria for Milwaukee Protocol
    • August 28, 2009: Rabies Vaccine Supply Update
    • August 11, 2009: Rabies Diagnostic Conjugates with Low Affinity
    • June 24, 2009: ACIP Votes to Recommend Reduced Rabies Vaccination Series
    • May 15, 2009: Rabies Vaccine Supply Situation
    • February 6, 2009: Rabies Vaccine Supply Situation
    • October 8, 2008: Rabies Vaccine Supply Situation
    • September 4, 2008: Rabies Vaccine Supply Situation
    • August 29, 2008: Rabies Vaccine Supply Situation
    • August 11, 2008: Rabies Vaccine Supply Situation
    • July 31, 2008: Rabies Vaccine Supply Situation
    • July 15, 2008: Rabies Vaccine Supply Situation
    • June 16, 2008: Rabies Vaccine Supply Situation
    • May 20, 2008: Temporary Unavailability of Rabies Pre-exposure Vaccination
    • July 27, 2007: Multi-state Investigation of Potential Rabies Exposure at a Softball Tournament
    • September 9, 2006: Horse Stabled in Tennessee Tested Positive for Rabies
    • May 10, 2006: Confirmation of Human Rabies Infection in Texas
    • December 23, 2005: Rabies in a Dairy Cow; Oklahoma
    • November 15, 2004: Clinician Information Line
    • July 2, 2004: Organ Donor and Transplant Recipients
  • State and local rabies consultation contacts
  • Specimen Submission
  • Multimedia
  • Training

Rabies and Kids!