Technically, yes—rabies can be transmitted from human to human, but it’s vanishingly rare. The World Health Organization notes only a handful of documented cases, almost all linked to organ transplants from an infected donor. No, you can’t catch it from a sneeze, a handshake, or even a kiss on the cheek.
The virus needs a direct route into your nervous system, usually through a deep bite or scratch. Human saliva doesn’t hang around long enough outside the body to pose a threat—think of it as a very picky hitchhiker.
That said, there’s one exception: corneal transplants have been implicated in a few cases. But even then, modern screening protocols have made this virtually obsolete. So, unless you’re planning to swap eyeballs with a stranger, you’re in the clear.
