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Can Saliva Might Be Gone To His Eye Through The Road?

Posted on Thu, 3 Oct 2024

Question: Sir, a dog in our area has gone mad. It was moving here and there on the road and might dropped saliva on the concrete road. My son suddenly touched the road and then touched his forehead (not sure whether he also accidentally touched his eye at that time or not and also I am not sure saliva was there or not). I immediately washed his hand with handwash and water but wiped his forehead by my hand with handwash mixed water only for once. Then he again wiped his forehead with a cloth to make it dry and while he was wiping with cloth then some water(don't know whether saliva was still there or not)might have gone into his eyes. Is there any fear of rabies in this case? all these things from touching the road to wiping his forehead with cloth was within about 1 minute and it was night time(about 9:30 PM) so there was no sunlight. Is he safe? I feared because saliva might be gone to his eye through the road, then to his hand and then to his forehead and then either mixed or not mixed with the water and then to his eyes while he was wiping with a cloth and if his hand accidentally got into his eyes . Does he require vaccine?

Answered by Dr. Shinas Hussain (6 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Vaccine not required

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I have gone through your query and I can understand your concerns.
In your case there is no dietary exposure to the saliva, the rabies virus won’t remain viable in open air for long and there is no practical possibility of infection.
As of now now vaccine is not indicated.
Hope I have answered your query

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Dr. Yogesh D

Answered by Dr. Shinas Hussain (26 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Absolutely fine

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
Rabies virus is an RNA virus and it will get destroyed immediately when placed on a non viable thing like in your case. There is absolutely no chance for virus transmission in this case.
Touching eyes and nostrils carries a theoretical risk of exposure when direct contact with saliva happens,however in this case the hands are unlikely contaminated.
Hope I have answered your query

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj

Follow up: Dr. Shinas Hussain (43 hours later)

Thanks a lot sir. U really erased many of my wrong perceptions regarding rabies. Sir, is there any minimum number of viral load required to infect rabies? I mean to ask is there any minimum amount of saliva required to enter the body ???? Or the rabies can infect with a very less number of saliva too ????

Answered by Dr. Shinas Hussain (32 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Nothing like minimum viral load

Detailed Answer:
Hi,
There is no description about minimum viral load or minimum amount of saliva, once contacted with rabid or suspected animal one has to get the vaccine at the earliest.
The spread of infection depends on the part of the body that has bitten by dog, more close to head(brain) more rapid and fatal will be the end result.
Thanks

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Saisudha Kotla