A scratch from an animal’s nail by itself does not transmit rabies, but if the nails are contaminated with saliva (for example, if the animal licked its paws or the saliva got smeared on the claws), the virus can be introduced into the wound—even though the paws are in open air, the virus remains infectious in fresh saliva for a short period. Similarly, while rabies is not airborne, direct entry of fresh saliva into the eyes or mouth can cause infection because the virus can penetrate the mucous membranes or ulcers in mouth. Therefore, any such exposure should be treated seriously
Answered2025-09-12 03:00:15
Let others know if this answer was helpful