Rabies is a very serious viral disease that affects the central nervous system and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear. It’s spread through the saliva of infected animals, most commonly through bites. Any mammal can get rabies, but it’s most often seen in wild animals like raccoons, bats, foxes and skunks.
Domestic animals like dogs and cats can also get rabies. In areas where rabies is common, it’s recommended to vaccinate your pets. But even vaccinated pets can be infected if they’re exposed. So while rare, it is possible for people to get rabies from dog bites.
If you’ve been bitten by a dog, how worried should you be about rabies? Here’s a look at some key considerations.
How is rabies transmitted?
Rabies is transmitted through infected saliva. When an infected animal bites another animal or person, the virus enters the wound through the saliva. The rabies virus travels via nerves to the spinal cord and brain, causing inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.
Rabies doesn’t transmit through blood, urine or feces. And it doesn’t spread through contact with blood, urine or feces of an infected animal.
What animals commonly transmit rabies?
In the United States, wild animals are the most common source of rabies transmission to humans and pets. Raccoons, skunks, bats and foxes account for over 90% of reported rabies cases.
Less than 10% of rabies cases occur in domestic species like dogs, cats and livestock. But these incidents get a lot of attention since our pets have close contact with humans.
Wild animals
- Raccoons – 36% of reported rabies cases
- Bats – 30% of rabies cases
- Skunks – 24% of rabies cases
- Foxes – 6% of rabies cases
Domestic animals
- Cats – 4% of rabies cases
- Cattle – 2% of rabies cases
- Dogs – less than 1% of rabies cases
So while any mammal can get infected with rabies, wild animals – especially raccoons, bats, skunks and foxes – pose the highest risk of transmitting it to humans.
What’s the risk from a dog bite?
In the U.S., dogs account for less than 1% of reported rabies cases. The vast majority of these dogs were unvaccinated and became infected after exposure to wildlife.
According to the CDC, the number of human rabies deaths caused by dogs in the last 100 years is only 1 to 3 per year. For comparison, there are about 4.5 million dog bites per year in the U.S.
So while rabies transmission from dogs is possible, the risk is extremely low, especially if the dog is up to date on its rabies vaccination. A properly vaccinated dog has a minimal chance of having rabies.
Risk factors
These factors increase your risk of rabies exposure from a dog bite:
- The dog is unvaccinated
- The dog is a stray or feral
- The bite occurred in an area with high rabies rates in wildlife
- The dog has been potentially exposed to rabid wildlife recently
If a known, vaccinated family pet that hasn’t been exposed to wildlife bites you, your risk of rabies is extremely small. But you should still report the bite to your doctor.
How is rabies diagnosed in dogs?
If a dog that has bitten someone shows clinical signs of rabies, it may be euthanized so the head can be tested for rabies.
More often, if the bite was unprovoked and the dog’s vaccination status is unknown, it will be confined and observed for 10 days. Canine rabies has an incubation period of 2-8 weeks before symptoms appear. If the dog remains healthy during the 10 day observation period, it did not have rabies at the time of the bite.
Signs of rabies in dogs
- Fever
- Seizures
- Paralysis
- Behavior changes – aggression, restlessness, lethargy
- Increased salivation/drooling
- Difficulty swallowing
- Appetite loss
Any sudden behavior changes in a dog after a bite occurred could be cause for concern about rabies.
Rabies vaccine for dogs
Vaccinating dogs is the best way to prevent rabies transmission to humans. The rabies vaccine is extremely effective and protects over 99% of dogs who receive it.
Vaccine guidelines
- Puppies receive an initial rabies vaccine at 12-16 weeks old
- A booster 1 year later
- Then boosters every 1-3 years, depending on state laws and vaccine used
It’s important to follow your veterinarian’s recommendations for keeping your dog up to date on rabies boosters. Puppies especially need vaccine boosters to ensure full protection.
What to do if bitten by a dog
If you’re bitten by a dog, these are the recommended steps:
- Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and running water. This removes saliva or tissue that could contain rabies virus.
- Get medical care. Bite injuries can become infected and may require antibiotics.
- Report the bite to animal control and your doctor. They can assess rabies risk based on the dog’s vaccination status and circumstances of the bite.
- Get rabies post-exposure prophylaxis if it’s recommended. This involves a fast-acting shot of rabies antibodies at the bite site, followed by 4 vaccine doses over 14 days.
- Notify your doctor if the dog develops any signs of rabies during a 10-day confinement period.
Seeking prompt medical care ensures the bite wound is properly cleaned and assessed. Your doctor will determine if post-exposure rabies treatment is needed based on guidelines.
Rabies in humans
Humans do not transmit rabies to each other. People get rabies through contact with infected animals.
In the U.S., human rabies cases have declined dramatically thanks to animal control and vaccination programs. There are only 1 to 3 human rabies deaths per year.
But rabies remains a concern when traveling to developing countries where dog rabies is more common. The WHO estimates rabies causes 59,000 human deaths worldwide per year, with over 95% occurring in Africa and Asia.
Signs and symptoms
After being exposed to rabies, symptoms generally take 2-8 weeks to develop. But there have been rare cases with incubation periods over 1 year.
Initial symptoms are non-specific and may include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms appear:
- Anxiety
- Confusion
- Agitation
- Hallucinations
- Insomnia
- Difficulty swallowing
- Excess salivation
- Paralysis
Once clinical signs occur, rabies is almost always fatal. There is no cure, but proper treatment after exposure can prevent the disease from developing.
Rabies prevention in humans
Here’s how you can protect yourself against rabies:
- Avoid contact with wild animals like raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats
- Do not feed or handle stray animals
- Keep pets up to date on rabies vaccinations
- Seek prompt medical care for animal bites to assess rabies risk
- Get recommended rabies post-exposure prophylaxis if you’ve been bitten by an animal that could be infected
- Consider pre-exposure rabies vaccination if traveling to areas with high rabies rates
Following bite prevention and reporting guidelines is key to staying protected.
Conclusion
While rabies is nearly always fatal once symptoms develop, it’s also nearly 100% preventable with proper treatment if exposed.
The risk of getting rabies from a dog bite is extremely low in the U.S. But it’s still important to take precautions like washing wounds thoroughly, reporting bites, and following medical advice about the need for post-exposure shots.
Keeping pets vaccinated and avoiding contact with wildlife are the best ways to protect yourself against this serious but preventable viral disease. If you’ve been bitten by a dog, don’t panic – just be sure to take the recommended steps to prevent rabies virus from developing into a dangerous infection.