The rabies virus lives in the saliva of infected animals. It is spread to another animal or a person through a bite or through licking an open wound. In rare cases, people may have breathed in the virus while visiting a heavily infected area, such as a bat cave. In some recent cases of human rabies, there has been no known contact with a bat or other potentially infected animal. This suggests that very little physical contact with an infected animal may be needed to catch the virus in some cases.
Symptoms usually develop within weeks of acquiring the virus.
However, symptoms may occur days or even years after the exposure. The rabies virus causes the infection. Unless people exposed to the virus are treated promptly, death is almost certain. Treatment rarely helps after symptoms develop. First, a rabies vaccine is given.