The incubation period for rabies varies in length and is usually 1-3 months, with very few cases occurring within 1 week or more than 1 year. However, the longest incubation period for rabies in the world has been reported to be up to 6 years, which is a very rare occurrence. The incubation period of rabies, which is the period from exposure to the onset of the disease without any symptoms, has no diagnostic method and its length is related to a number of factors. The length of the incubation period is related to the number of viruses, their virulence and the distribution of nerves at the site of invasion. The greater the number of viruses, the stronger the virulence, the more nerve-rich the invasion site and the closer to the central nervous system, the shorter the incubation period. The incubation period is relatively short in infants or children, or in older patients who have been bitten by animals. Once you have been scratched and bitten by a dog or cat, it is recommended that you wash the wound repeatedly with soapy water and running water, then go to the hospital as soon as possible and receive rabies vaccination as appropriate.