Could I or my sister have contracted rabies this way? - #20002
Last night I petted a little dog that was on a leash with its owner. The owner said she was only temporarily taking care of the dog and didn't know if it was vaccinated against rabies. My sister and I petted its head, around the ears, and possibly its muzzle. When I got home, while undressing, I touched my hair and a wound on my head with the same hands that had touched that dog. I have a wound on my head, about 1-2 cm in diameter, and it's about 1-2 days old. My sister touched the inside of her nose, the nasal mucosa, with those hands. Of course, we washed our hands twice with soap afterward. Please tell me, could I or she have contracted rabies or anything? Thank you very much, please answer, I'm worried about her and myself.
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Doctors’ responses
Hello,
Risk of rabies from your situation is extremely low to essentially zero.
Rabies spreads mainly through bites or when infected saliva enters a fresh wound or mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth) directly.
You and your sister only petted a normal-acting dog on a leash; no bite or lick into wounds/mucosa occurred.
Any saliva that might have been on fur would be minimal and the virus doesn’t survive well on dry surfaces.
You washed your hands, which further eliminates risk.
Rabies PEP (shots) is not needed in this scenario.
Only seek care if there was a bite, scratch, direct lick into wound/nose/eye, or if the dog becomes ill within 10 days.
🛑You’re both safe and don’t need to worry.
I hope thus resolved your query Thank you
The dog is not mine. I do not know if it has rabies or not, and there is no way for me to know. The dog’s owner doesn’t know either, as she is only looking after the dog temporarily for someone else. When we got home, I touched a wound on my scalp, and my sister touched the mucous membrane inside her nose. After we realized what we had done, we washed our hands with soap. Not before, but after.
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