CNN – While human cases of rabies in the United States are rare, it’s still a deadly disease: six people have died from rabies nationwide since September 2024, a US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesperson confirmed to CNN.
In addition, the CDC is tracking 14 potential outbreaks in 20 states.
What is rabies? How is it transmitted and by which animals? What are the symptoms of infection in humans, and is there a vaccine? How should rabies exposure be treated? And what can people do to reduce their risk of exposure?
To guide us through these questions, I spoke with CNN wellness expert Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician and clinical associate professor at the George Washington University. Wen previously served as Baltimore’s health commissioner.
CNN: What is rabies, and how is it transmitted?
Dr. Leana Wen: Rabies is caused by a deadly virus that is spread mainly through the saliva of infected animals.
The rabies virus is part of the Rhabdoviridae family and genus Lyssavirus, which comprises 16 virus species. All 16 can cause rabies disease in humans, though the rabies virus is by far the most common cause.
This virus is typically transmitted through an animal bite, though scratches or direct contact with mucosa can also spread the virus.
For instance, if the saliva of the infected animal comes in contact with a human’s eyes, mouth or open wounds, the virus could be spread.
The virus primarily affects the central nervous system, with inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.
The incubation period, the time between exposure to the virus and symptom onset, may last weeks to months. Once a person starts showing symptoms of rabies, the disease is nearly always fatal.
CNN: What kinds of animals spread rabies to humans?
Wen: Dogs are responsible for the majority of human rabies deaths worldwide, and young children are frequent victims …
