Rabies virus diluted with water is not necessarily still contagious. The rabies virus tends to survive in the air for a much shorter period of time than it does in the human body. Therefore, if the rabies virus is exposed to air for too long, it will not cause infection. Once a patient has been bitten or scratched by an animal with rabies, he or she can also remove some of the rabies virus and reduce the chance of infection by promptly flushing the wound with water. However, to be on the safe side, once a person has been scratched or bitten by an animal such as a dog or cat, regardless of whether the cat or dog is a rabies carrier or not, it is recommended that he or she be vaccinated against rabies in time to avoid contracting rabies. In addition, rabies is a very dangerous disease with a 100% fatality rate, and there is currently no effective drug, so prevention is generally the mainstay.