Fact Check: Viral video advising to apply catechu and salt to treat dog bite is unproven

Hyderabad: Artificial Intelligence has become a great trend where AI-generated videos showing dummy doctors advising illogical and scientifically unproven cure for serious health ailments is also at peak.

We can’t ignore the fact that when it comes to health misinformation, these videos could be highly misleading. People who are not aware of AI might fall for the incorrect information shared through these videos.

In this article, we will discuss one such highly misleading claim which might cost a life. The viral video claims that you can treat a dog bite by applying salt and catechu or Kattha over it. As per the viral video, this magical mix would suck out the poison. (Note: Dogs are not venomous, they are talking about rabies-causing virus)

Scroll down to know what to do instead.

Fact Check

NewsMeter found no scientific evidence backing the claim. Hence we mark the claim false.

What is Rabies?

The World Health Organisation says that rabies is a vaccine-preventable, zoonotic, viral disease affecting the central nervous system. Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is virtually 100% fatal. In up to 99% of cases, domestic dogs are responsible for rabies virus transmission to humans. Yet, rabies can affect both domestic and wild animals. It spreads to people and animals via saliva, usually through bites, scratches or direct contact with mucosa (e.g. eyes, mouth or open wounds). Children between the age group of 5 and 14 years are frequent victims.

What are the symptoms of Rabies?

Initial symptoms of rabies include generic signs like fever, pain and unusual or unexplained tingling, pricking, or burning sensations at the wound site. As the virus moves to the central nervous system, progressive and fatal inflammation of the brain and spinal cord develops. Clinical rabies in people can be managed but very rarely cured, and not without severe neurological deficits, says WHO.

Forms of Rabies

Furious Rabies in hyperactivity: This type of Rabies might cause excitable behavior, hallucination, lack of coordination, hydrophobia or fear of water, and aerophobia or fear of fresh air. Death is inevitable in this case due to cardiorespiratory arrest.

The second form is paralytic Rabies which accounts for about 20% of the total cases. In this form, rabies runs a least dramatic and unusually longer course than the furious form. The muscles gradually become paralyzed starting from the wound. Slowly spreads to the entire body and the person succumbs to death.

What to do when a dog bites?

Seek immediate assistance from your doctor and get the anti-rabies vaccination started without wasting any time (if your physician advises). Do not panic, rabies can be prevented through vaccination.

We further reached out to Prof. Dr. S. Vijay Mohan, M.D, Sr. Consultant Physician, Care Hospitals & Professor & HoD, Dept. of Internal Medicine, to debunk the claim.

Calling the remedy unscientific and baseless. Dr. Vijay says, ‘Rabies is a 100 percent killer disease. Never follow these unscientific measures. The only prevention and protection is vaccine’.