Rabies spreads through bites.
A dog can get rabies when it is bitten by another animal that already has the virus. Rabies lives in the saliva of infected animals. When the bite breaks the skin, the virus enters the body and starts to travel through the nerves toward the brain. Once it reaches the brain, it causes an illness that affects how the dog moves, acts, and behaves.
Why is it dangerous
Rabies is very serious because it can spread quickly and is almost always deadly once symptoms appear. That is why dogs are vaccinated against rabies in many places. The vaccine protects them from getting sick even if an infected animal bites them. It is essential to get help from a vet right away if a dog might have been exposed.
FAQ
Q: Can rabies spread without a bite?
A: It is rare, but rabies can spread if infected saliva touches an open wound or the eyes, nose, or mouth.
Q: Can humans get rabies from a dog?
A: Yes, but only if the dog is infected and its saliva enters the body through a bite or open wound.
🧠 Conspiracy Theory
Dogs invented the “fetch” game to check if humans are secretly rabid.
😅 Dad Joke
Why don’t rabid dogs ever tell secrets? They might let it slip through their bite.
Sources & Further Reading:
World Health Organization (WHO). (2023). Rabies. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2024). Rabies and Animals. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/animals/index.html
