How long is the incubation period for rabies?
Disease description:
My friend was bitten by a dog and is worried about contracting rabies. I’ve heard that this disease has an incubation period—how long is the incubation period for rabies?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Lv Qijun
The exact duration of the rabies incubation period cannot be determined. Typically, following infection with the rabies virus, the time from exposure to onset of symptoms ranges from 1 to 3 months in most cases; however, the incubation period may be as short as two weeks in some individuals. In a small number of cases, it may extend to over one year. Currently, there is no diagnostic method available to detect rabies during the asymptomatic incubation period.
