The news that a woman in the Mahilioŭ region contracted rabies after a stray cat scratched her hands surprised many: can rabies be transmitted not only through a bite, but also through a common scratch? Here's what experts say.
The World Health Organization explains that the rabies virus is transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal — not only through bites, but also through scratches or if saliva gets onto damaged skin or mucous membranes.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also emphasizes that rabies spreads "through bites or scratches from infected animals."
The mechanism of infection seems quite simple. The virus is present in the saliva of a sick animal. If the animal licks its paws, saliva can remain on its claws. Therefore, even a scratch becomes dangerous if the virus enters the body through damaged skin.
Particularly dangerous are injuries on the hands, face, and neck — in areas with a large number of nerve endings. The CDC notes that infection of nerve-rich tissues can accelerate the development of the infection.
In international medical recommendations, scratches are considered an official risk factor. The CDC, in its Yellow Book guide, specifically states that although scratches carry a lower risk of transmission than bites, they can be contaminated with saliva containing the rabies virus.
The WHO also warns that infection is possible even when an infected animal has licked a person's wound, an area where the skin is abraded or damaged, as well as the mucous membrane of the mouth and nose. Therefore, doctors advise treating any contact with an unknown or wild animal that resulted in skin damage as potentially dangerous.
Rabies remains one of the deadliest infections in the world. Once symptoms appear, the disease almost always ends in death. The WHO notes that after the development of clinical manifestations of rabies, it is "almost 100% fatal." This is why the main rule is not to wait for symptoms, but to act immediately after contact with a suspicious animal.
Doctors recommend immediately washing the wound with soap and water for several minutes and seeking medical attention as soon as possible. If there is a risk of infection, the person is prescribed post-exposure prophylaxis — a course of vaccination that almost always prevents the development of the disease.
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