The rabies virus is a clever organism that has evolved to exploit many traits of its primary host, the carnivore.
Carnivores commonly live at high population densities, and have high intrinsic growth rates.
They are able to excrete the virus in large quantities, are often aggressive towards others, and frequently engage in social grooming, all of which are important features for virus transmission. These animals may also have a long incubation period for the virus and often wander great distances outside of their home territory, permitting long distance spread of the virus. Infection other than as a result of the bite of an infected animal is extremely rare. The virus may also be spread by saliva entering scratches, abrasions or open wounds in the skin. Therefore it is possible for people to get rabies if infectious saliva from a rabid animal should get directly into their eyes, nose, or mouth.