How long it takes for rabies virus infection to develop is actually the incubation period for rabies, and the period from the occurrence of rabies exposure to the onset of rabies without any symptoms is called the incubation period. The second report by the World Health Organization at the Expert Consultation on Rabies suggests that the incubation period of the virus varies from five days to several years, depending on the amount of invasive virus, the site of injury, the density of neurons, and the proximity of the virus to the central nervous system, but is generally 2-3 months and rarely exceeds one year. Therefore, wound management is critical for secondary and tertiary exposures. Since the incubation period for rabies is mostly 2-3 months, only 2-3% of cases can be longer than one year, but there are exceptional cases of up to eight years. This means that the incubation period for rabies is as short as five days and as long as several years, with most being 2-3 months.