“Theoretically, birds can come into contact with the rabies virus – for example, by pecking at the remains of sick animals. However, they generally cannot become a source of infection for humans,” explains epidemiologist Irina SAMUSENKO. – “There are reasons for this. For instance, the body temperature of birds is above 40°C. At such a high temperature, the rabies virus simply breaks down. Moreover, humans can contract rabies from mammals (foxes, dogs, cats) mainly through saliva that enters the bloodstream during a bite. In birds, however, the salivary glands are poorly developed, and their beaks remain dry. Therefore, even if a 'problematic' bird pecks you, the risk of contracting rabies is practically zero.”