Yes, you can catch rabies, but it’s not as easy as Hollywood makes it seem. You won’t get it from a scratch or from touching an animal that might be sick. The virus needs a direct hit: it has to get into your bloodstream or mucous membranes, usually through a deep bite or an open wound that touches infected saliva.
Think of it like a really picky vampire—it needs an invitation. (And no, you can’t get it from petting a bat that’s just chilling on the sidewalk. Don’t pet the bat, though. Seriously.) The virus is also fragile; it dies quickly once the saliva dries, so you can’t catch it from a bowl a rabid dog licked three hours ago.
Who are the usual suspects?
In the U.S., the main carriers are raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats. Dogs are a bigger deal in other parts of the world (Asia and Africa mostly), but thanks to vaccination laws, your neighbor’s golden retriever is less of a threat than a squirrel. Side note: squirrels, rabbits, and rats almost never carry rabies—their bodies just don’t host the virus well. So if a chipmunk stares at you funny, it’s just being a chipmunk.
Bats are the sneakiest ones. They have tiny teeth, so you might get bitten while sleeping and not even wake up. Creepy, right? That’s why health officials get jumpy if you find a bat in your bedroom—they’ll recommend the rabies vaccine just in case, even if you don’t see a bite.
Understanding Rabies: Causes, Transmission, Symptoms, and Prevention
