Three days ago, my sister petted and cuddled a dog that was being carried by its owner. There was no bite or scratch. Later she touched me with those same hands and I may have eaten or touched my mouth without washing my hands. Do I require a rabies vaccination or am I just being paranoid?
If you'd like to discuss your concern in detail, feel free to WhatsApp me at nine one one nine two five five six nine nine, or connect with me on the Practo app for a consultation.
Answered
Flag this answer
Let others know if this answer was helpful
Was this answer helpful?
YESNO
Didn't find the answer you are looking for?
Talk to experienced doctor online and get your health questions answered in just 5 minutes.
no need of vaccination. rabies virus cannot sustain in outside environment for longer duration. so dont worry.
secondly as you know the dog and its owner, check if dog was being vaccinated or not/. if vaccinated you dont need any.
thirdly even if dog was not vaccinated, you can still observe dog for 2 weeks. if dogs behaviour is normal, then also you dont need ARV.
by any chance if dogs behaviour changes in next 2 weeks, only then u may need ARV
Next Steps
feel free to consult me on practo if you still have further queries
As long as the dog has been vaccinated and has no symptoms for 10 days you don’t have to worry if I’m didn’t lick a raw open wound on the body or bite or scratch with skin tear ior bleeding
Based on what you’ve described, you do not require rabies vaccination.
Rabies does not spread through simply petting, cuddling, or touching a dog, nor does it spread because someone else touched the dog and then touched you. Casual contact is not considered an exposure.
Rabies post-exposure vaccination is recommended only if there has been:
* A bite that breaks the skin.
* A scratch that breaks the skin and could be contaminated with the animal’s saliva.
* Saliva or neural tissue from a potentially rabid animal coming into open wounds or the eyes, nose, or mouth (mucous membranes).
* Direct contact with bats in situations where a bite or scratch cannot be ruled out.
In your situation:
* No bite
* No scratch
* No direct saliva exposure to a wound or mucous membrane
* There is Only indirect contact through another person’s hands
This is not considered a rabies exposure, so rabies vaccination is not indicated.
Next Steps
Try not to stress. Rabies is understandably a frightening disease, but it is not transmitted by mere petting, cuddling, touching fur, or indirect contact like this as is in your case that has been described.
Washing hands after handling animals is always a good hygiene practice, but based on your description, there is no reason to worry about rabies or seek post-exposure vaccination.
Disclaimer : The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
Disclaimer : The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding your medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.
Flu
Reasons for flagging
Hateful or abusive contentSpam or misleadingAdvertisement