When police inspector Vanraj Manjaria—an animal lover who even preserved the ashes of his pets—died recently, it was a dog that was behind his death from rabies. For Manjaria, death came from the scratch of not a street dog, but a pet dog of a family friend he met at a farmhouse he visited earlier this month. His death has sparked several questions about dogs and rabies. But the key question—can just scratch, not bite, cause rabies? And if yes, how does the virus reach the canine’s paw?
Manjaria suddenly fell sick on September 15, but by the time he was admitted to hospital in Ahmedabad, it was too late. Doctors told his family he had contracted rabies—a virus with no cure and certain death.
None of Manjaria’s relatives knew of any bite, and he himself had never mentioned one. Only in the hospital were two scratch marks from a dog’s paw discovered on his feet.
It has raised the question—can a dog’s, or even a cat’s scratch, really cause rabies? Here is what doctors have to say.
YES, EVEN A SCRATCH FROM A DOG OR CAT CAN CAUSE RABIES
“It is possible. If the animal is infected with the virus and licks its paws before scratching a person, transmission can occur, though the probability is low,” explained Mumbai-based veterinarian Dr Brijesh Raj.
In Manjaria’s case, a family relative told India Today Digital that it remained unclear whether the dog that scratched him was alive or not. Generally, after an incident of an animal’s bite or scratch, doctors and veterinarians suggest that a close eye on the animal be kept. If an animal is infected by the rabies virus, they usually die within two weeks.
What Manjaria’s death highlights is a larger concern, as he died of a pet dog’s scratch.
This highlights the concern that even pet animals can pose a risk if their annual vaccinations are not maintained.
“Pets that mingle with unvaccinated street dogs or cats without being properly immunised themselves can become carriers of the rabies virus,” Dr Parul Parpani, another Mumbai-based veterinarian told India Today Digital.
Internal medicine specialist Dr Anuj Tiwari, practising at Mumbai’s Dr RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital in Vile Parle, shared guidelines with India Today Digital on managing animal bites and scratches.
IS A SCRATCH SERIOUS? HOW TO CHECK, TAKE EXPERT ADVICE
Sometimes, after a dog or cat scratches, one cannot tell if the skin has broken. Dr Tiwari explained a way to test it. “A simple way to check is to apply spirit on the area. If it burns, it means the skin is breached, and the person should take both the vaccine and immunoglobulin. If there is no burning, then the vaccine alone is enough.”
However, it is always advised to seek a doctor’s advice in case of any scratch or bite, even if it feels superficial. Remember, rabies is fatal. Instant action can only save lives from rabies.
Since rabies is always fatal, doctors, as standard protocol, recommend completing the full course of precautionary rabies vaccinations.
The current post-exposure vaccination schedule is four doses. It is given on days 0, 3, 7, and 21 or 28. Pre-exposure vaccination is usually two or three doses. “Once you begin post-exposure treatment, you should complete the entire course even if the dog appears healthy later,” said Dr Tiwari, emphasising that, regardless of the animal’s survival, the full course of rabies vaccinations must be completed to ensure the body develops protective antibodies.
HOW TO DEAL WITH BITES OR SCRATCHES FROM VACCINATED PETS
If a pet is vaccinated against rabies, a doctor should still be consulted to decide if rabies shots are needed.
“There are two schools of thought here. In very controlled circumstances—such as with a pet dog or cat that is vaccinated, and it is 100% sure that it does not mingle with stray animals, and whose vaccination record has been physically verified—one might consider skipping immunoglobulin. However, because rabies is 100% fatal, and we can’t always be sure that a dog’s vaccination has produced enough antibodies, we generally advise taking both the vaccine and the immunoglobulin as a precaution,” Dr Tiwari explained.
“If a person has already taken the full course of five doses in the past year, and is sure that their pet does not interact with any stray animals, then they don’t need to repeat the entire series after another bite or scratch. Basic wound care is enough, and at most, two or three booster doses may be given,” he added.
If the dog or cat cannot be observed—for example, a stray—then both immunoglobulin and the vaccine are always advised. Immunoglobulin contains ready-made antibodies against the rabies virus. These are either derived from animals like horses or manufactured in labs. They are injected directly around the wound and act immediately to neutralise any active rabies virus. Vaccines, on the other hand, take time to stimulate the body’s immune response.
KNOW THE VIRUS: HOW RABIES TRANSMITS
Rabies is caused by a virus from the Lyssavirus genus, transmitted through bites or scratches, and attacks the brain and nerves. Symptoms include fever, anxiety, confusion, difficulty swallowing, hallucinations, and hydrophobia.
The virus usually spreads through animal saliva. In rare cases, like in Manjaria’s case, it can even spread through scratches. Very rarely, it can even be transmitted through saliva’s contact with mucous membranes such as eyes, nose or mouth, or inhalation of aerosolised virus in bat caves.
“The cases of the latter are extremely rare,” said Dr Tiwari.
“It can even spread from human to human if infected saliva or secretions enter another person’s broken skin. A human bite from a rabid person is one such possibility,” he added.
HOW SOON SHOULD YOU GET RABIES VACCINE?
“There is no fixed ’24-hour window’ after a bite. The time it takes for rabies to manifest depends on many factors, including the site of the bite and the person’s immune response. Bites closer to the brain or spinal cord might allow the virus to reach the nervous system faster. In general, the farther the bite is from the brain, the longer the virus may take to travel,” said Dr Tiwari.
Symptoms of rabies usually appear within days to a few months, but rare cases have been reported even after a year or two. Such long incubation periods are extremely rare, though. Most commonly, symptoms occur within 30 days to six months.
To those who live around animals and like interacting with them, Tiwari advised, “Such individuals should consider pre-exposure vaccination. I often advise three doses beforehand, so if they are bitten later, they already have some protection. In a country like India, you cannot always depend on civic authorities to manage stray animals, but you can protect yourself.”
Despite a record 75% reduction in rabies-related deaths in India, a Lancet study revealed earlier this year that at least 5,726 people die from the disease annually, making India one of the leading nations in rabies fatalities. The study also highlighted that around 9 million animal bite cases are reported every year, with two-thirds involving dogs.
In this scenario, India needs to be informed and extremely careful of not just animal bites, but scratches too. Expert opinion should be sought immediately, and it should be remembered that just rabies vaccine might not be enough, and immunoglobulin might be needed.
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