What is dog bite?

Dog bites injure tens of millions of people a year. The biggest danger is rabies, a virus in an infected animal's saliva that is almost always deadly once symptoms start.

Signs

A bite or scratch that breaks the skin. Rabies signs can appear weeks or months later: fever, tingling at the wound, then fear of water, confusion or paralysis.

How it spreads

Rabies passes through saliva, mostly from dog bites or scratches, or saliva getting into an open wound, eyes or mouth. Cats, bats and monkeys can also spread it.

How to protect yourself

Vaccinate pet dogs and cats against rabies. Stay away from stray dogs and never leave a child alone with any dog. Teach children how to behave around dogs.

Get medical help

Wash the wound with soap and running water for 15 minutes, then go to a health centre at once for rabies vaccine. Don't wait for symptoms; after that, it can't be cured.

In Dooram's words, from the World Health Organization. Source: WHO fact sheet: Animal bites, read 8 October 2026. General information, not medical advice.