Excretion of Rabies Virus in the Saliva of Dogs

Abstract

Thirty-nine dogs were injected intramuscularly with either an Ethiopian strain or a Mexican strain of rabies virus. The excretion of rabies virus in the saliva was studied before and during illness. Nine of 17 dogs that died after injection with the Ethiopian strain had virus in the submaxillary glands. Four of these dogs excreted virus in the saliva up to 13 days before signs of disease were observed. Sixteen of 22 dogs that died after injection with the Mexican strain had virus in the submaxillary glands. Eight of these dogs also excreted virus in the saliva up to seven days before signs of disease were observed. These findings indicate that rabid dogs may excrete virus in their saliva much earlier than previously reported.