• Cynicivity@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    The rabies virus is shed in saliva. More than 99% of all rabies cases (of which there are about 50,000 a year) are due to the transmission of the virus from the saliva of an infected animal/human into the bloodstream of another human.

    The website linked mentions “it has been reported” that rabies can be transmitted via intercourse, but doesn’t cite any papers that state as such. Likely the only way this could work is if a human with rabies performs oral sex on another person, creates micro-abrasions on the genital tissue of their partner while shedding the virus in their saliva which infects the 2nd person.

    So while it might be technically possible, rabies doesn’t meet the criteria of what we typically refer to as STDs or STIs with our current knowledge and understanding of the disease.

    • Call me Lenny/Leni@lemm.eeOP
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      1 year ago

      Rabies travels through the body though, it’s not just in one aspect of the body. That’s why people often say that, if you get bit in the foot, you have a longer time to react in time than if you get bit somewhere like in the neck. The death comes when the virus’ influence reaches the brain, after which it’s sadly too late. So without a doubt there is more that could spread it than saliva, we just don’t get exposed to most other bodily fluids under normal circumstances.

      • red@feddit.de
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        1 year ago

        Rabies travels through the body though, it’s not just in one aspect of the body. That’s why people often say that, if you get bit in the foot, you have a longer time to react in time than if you get bit somewhere like in the neck.

        Yea, pretty much.

        The death comes when the virus’ influence reaches the brain, after which it’s sadly too late.

        Yup

        So without a doubt there is more that could spread it than saliva, we just don’t get exposed to most other bodily fluids under normal circumstances.

        This is 100% FUD and nothing else. Rabies does not life in other bodily fluids. It lives in our nerve tissue, brain tissue and saliva. Not in our blood, not in our pee, not in our feces, not in our semen, not in vaginal fluids, not in pus, really not in any bodily fluids other than saliva.