How do you get rabies?

According to the North Dakota Department of Health, people usually get rabies when an animal with rabies bites them, thus injecting saliva into their bodies. In a tiny amount of cases, people contract rabies when saliva or nervous tissue infected with rabies contacts an open wound.

In rare circumstances, rabies transmission can also occur when saliva or nervous tissue touches an area such as the eyes, nose or mouth. Once saliva dries, the rabies virus cannot be transmitted. Soaps, alcohol and bleach and are some agents that destroy the virus. All mammals are capable of contracting rabies, but bites from bats and other animals with small teeth may go unnoticed.