Nguyen Truong Hung arrived at a motorcycle driving practice area in Ha Noi expecting a licensing test. Instead, the 19-year-old was surrounded by three aggressive dogs and bitten on the calf by one that had recently given birth.
The wound was about the size of a finger joint, with visible tooth marks and bruising that spread quickly. Hung did not know whether the dog had been vaccinated against rabies, making prompt professional assessment important despite the wound’s limited size.
Hung immediately called his family. His mother, Dr Nga Pham Thi Quynh, a technical officer with the World Health Organization Country Office for Viet Nam, instructed him to hold the wound under running water for 15 minutes.
She then took him to begin a four-injection course of rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. But we didn’t want to take any chances, so we acted quickly, Dr Nga said of the family’s response.
What to do after a possible rabies exposure
WHO guidance calls for immediately washing a bite or scratch from a potentially rabid animal with soap and water for at least 15 minutes, followed by medical attention. Washing is one part of the emergency response and does not replace an assessment or vaccination when those measures are indicated.
Rabies can spread through infected saliva entering the body through bites, scratches, broken skin or mucous membranes such as the eyes or mouth. Once clinical symptoms appear, the disease is virtually always fatal, according to WHO, but timely post-exposure prophylaxis can prevent the virus from reaching the central nervous system.
The necessary care depends on the kind of contact. WHO classifies touching or feeding an animal, or a lick on intact skin, as Category I, for which prophylaxis is not required. Minor scratches or abrasions without bleeding fall under Category II and require wound washing and immediate vaccination.
Transdermal bites or scratches, saliva on broken skin or mucous membranes, and direct contact with bats are Category III exposures. WHO recommends wound washing, immediate vaccination and rabies immunoglobulin or monoclonal antibodies for these severe exposures.
Previous rabies vaccination status also affects treatment. People who have already completed rabies vaccination may follow a different post-exposure regimen and generally do not receive rabies immunoglobulin. Vaccine schedules can also vary by administration method, national guidance and a patient’s health status, so the number and timing of injections should be determined by qualified health professionals.
Hung’s prescribed course involved four injections. A four-dose intramuscular schedule is among the recognized approaches for people who have not previously been vaccinated, although that fact alone does not establish which regimen is appropriate for another person.
Dog control is part of prevention
The risk is not theoretical in Viet Nam. WHO’s Viet Nam rabies information states that the disease kills more than 70 people in the country each year and that most cases are linked to bites from rabid dogs.
Viet Nam’s National Programme for the Prevention and Control of Rabies 2022–2030 seeks to eliminate human rabies deaths caused by dogs by 2030. Vaccinating dogs and preventing bites are central to reducing human exposure, while access to prompt post-exposure care remains critical after an incident occurs.
Rules in Viet Nam require dogs in public to be leashed and muzzled. Owners also have a practical role in supervising their animals, preventing roaming and keeping rabies vaccinations current.
Hung said the encounter did not change his affection for animals. It did make him more cautious around stray or unrestrained dogs, particularly in parking areas. His response also illustrates the central lesson for dog owners and bite victims: the appearance of a wound cannot settle rabies risk, but immediate washing and timely medical assessment can protect a person before symptoms develop.
What would you do if your dog were in this situation? Share your thoughts in the comments.
By Sarah Mitchell — 8 years as a local-news reporter covering animal welfare, shelters, neighborhood disputes, and public-safety pet stories.
