rabies

Question
QUESTION: I kept a bucket full of water in my garden. A street dog then drank water from it. I then immersed my hand in the water to lift the bucket. Could i've gotten rabies? I didn't wash my hand after that either. There are no injuries or wounds on my hand.

ANSWER: Check with your doctor if you are really concerned about this, but first of all, that dog would have had to be infected with rabies, and chances are that he was not. If there were no open wounds on your hands, then about the only way you could contact rabies through this incident would be to drink out of that bucket yourself (assuming that the dog was indeed rabid).

One should always wash his hands thoroughly after being around animals and after gardening, particularly if any sprays were used in the garden.

http://rabies.emedtv.com/rabies/rabies-transmission.html

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Also, i was bit by a dog few days ago. I started taking rabies vaccines yesterday and i took the first dose yesterday. Today, while playing with a puppy, his nail touched my almost recovered wound. Will i get rabies? The puppy isn't vaccinated and is 3 months old.

Answer
Seriously, you really need to ask these questions of your doctor.

Again, you cannot get rabies from a dog unless it has rabies, but if you should now be carrying rabies because of that dog bite, you could certainly pass it along to another creature. Stay away from animals until your treatment is over.