Will Insurance Cover Rabies Vaccine?

• The cost of a rabies vaccination for those without health insurance normally includes a consultation fee, possibly shot administration fees, and the cost of the three required doses of vaccine, which ranges from $500 to $1200. The cost of a rabies vaccination, for example, at the Michigan State University Travel Clinic is at least$35 to$95 for a consultation, depending on how long it lasts; $20 for shot administration ($15 for each additional injection); and $200 apiece for the three needed shots, for a total of at least$685. An initial consultation costs between $85 and $150 at Baylor Travel Medicine in Texas, depending on the complexity of the patient’s travel itinerary and medical history; a follow-up appointment to administer the vaccine costs between $25 and $85; and the vaccine costs $325 each for a total of at least $1,110.
• Because travel-related vaccinations, such as the rabies vaccine, are considered elective, they are generally not covered by health insurance; however, some plans with preventive benefits do cover them.
• A charge of $10 to $40 for the medical visit and a fee for each dosage of the vaccine are normal costs for those with health insurance. For example, for a $20 copay, this BlueCare Direct HMO offers immunizations, including those required for travel.
• A nurse or doctor who specializes in travel medicine will ask about your itinerary and activity plans at your initial trip consultation, and if you intend on spelunking or dealing with animals, the rabies vaccination is more likely to be recommended.
• The health care provider will give you three shots after confirming that you require the pre-exposure rabies vaccination: a first dose, a second dose seven days later, and a third dose 21 or 28 days after the initial dose.
• In a week to ten days, the vaccine begins to provide protection, which lasts at least two years.
• Even if you’ve been vaccinated, you should seek medical attention right away if you’ve been bitten or scratched by an animal. However, having been vaccinated against rabies indicates that you will require less intensive post-exposure therapy; this can be advantageous in some underdeveloped nations where rabies medicines are scarce.
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States provides recommendations for who should get a rabies pre-exposure vaccine.
• Due to shortages, rabies pre-exposure immunizations have occasionally been unavailable in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a rabies page with information on vaccine availability.
• According to the CDC, anyone with a weakened immune system or who has previously experienced an adverse reaction should consult a doctor before having a rabies vaccination.
• Headache, nausea, abdominal pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, hives, joint pain, and fever are all risks and probable adverse effects of rabies vaccine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has a fact sheet about rabies and the vaccine.

Are rabies shots expensive?

The rabies vaccine, the second element of the treatment, is also not cheap. It costs about $260 each dose in wholesale, and people will need several during therapy.

“The cost of our rabies immunoglobulin takes into account the extensive quality assurance required for human plasma-based products, the uniqueness of its manufacturing, and increased costs related to non-Sanofi production processes,” Sanofi, the company that sells Imogam, one brand of the treatment, said in a statement.

HyperRAB’s producer, Grifols, declined to comment on the price hike.

Is rabies post exposure prophylaxis covered by insurance?

This isn’t true. For post-exposure to the rabies virus, rabies vaccinations and globulins are provided. Rabies vaccines and globulins are covered both before and after a rabies infection.

Why is the rabies vaccine so expensive?

Immunoglobulin basically kicks the immune system into overdrive, stalling the rabies virus until the vaccine kicks in; it buys you time. Rabies immunoglobulin is costly to manufacture. This is due to the fact that, unlike a flu shot, it is made from human blood, which must be thoroughly tested for disease.

Why are rabies shots so expensive?

Every year, between 20,000 and 40,000 Americans are treated with rabies after contacts with wildlife such as bats, raccoons, and skunks.

Two medications are used in the first stage of treatment: rabies vaccine and rabies immunoglobulin. The immunoglobulin effectively puts the immune system into overdrive, preventing the rabies virus from spreading until the vaccine kicks in.

“The immunoglobulin is what intervenes before the sickness may spread from the periphery of the body into the central nervous system, and then into the brain,” adds Rupprecht. “It buys you some time.”

Because rabies immunoglobulin is generated from human blood, which must be thoroughly checked for disease, it costs more than a flu vaccine. Because of the high cost, the medicine is frequently unavailable in developing nations.

However, prices in the United States remain extremely high. Derek Evans, a British pharmacist and the chair-elect of the International Society of Travel Medicine, assisted me in researching the cost of rabies immunoglobulin in the UK.

According to the British National Formulary, one vial of rabies immunoglobulin costs £600 ($813) in the United Kingdom. Evans claims that the average male would take two vials (the medicine is dosed based on weight), bringing the entire cost to £1,200, or $1,626 — a fraction of what I’ve seen on hospital bills in the United States. The British government also covers all costs associated with rabies exposure treatment, leaving patients with no out-of-pocket expenses.

“Isn’t it a long way off from $14,000?” When I informed Evans about the charges I’d witnessed here in the United States, he observed.

Finding out the cost of rabies treatment ahead of time might be difficult, if not impossible. It is estimated to cost between $3,000 and $7,500, according to the CDC.

Amino, a health data company, examined 45,000 rabies treatment claims and discovered that over half of the bills ranged from $280 to $4,500. 5% of the bills were more than $9,912, implying that emergency rooms and presumably drug manufacturers have a lot of leeway when it comes to charging for the same prescriptions.

The Amino data indicates the real price paid by patients and insurance for the rabies vaccine, not the hospital expenses.

“If this were a flu vaccination, the price fluctuation would be quite small,” says Sohan Murthy, Amino’s principal data scientist. However, he claims that this type of price volatility is common in emergency rooms, where patients often have no idea how much their care would cost until the bill arrives.

“We observe a lot of high range in prices for emergency room-type items in other types of medical encounters,” Murthy adds.

Multiple inquiries for information on how the Swedish Medical Center near Denver, which treated Benjamin Cinkosky, the 8-year-old boy who was injured by a bat, did not receive a response.

Pricey “facility fees” drive the costs of rabies treatment even higher

Because rabies immunoglobulin is an expensive medicine with a short shelf life (usually a few years), most health care providers do not keep it on hand. On a primary care doctor’s shelf, there’s a good possibility the drug may expire.

However, emergency rooms retain this life-saving drug on hand. According to the Amino data set, 95% of post-exposure rabies treatment takes place in emergency rooms.

Typically, emergency rooms charge hundreds or thousands of dollars in hospital and doctor fees only to provide the injections. “The cost of stepping into an emergency room and seeking treatment is referred to as “facility costs.” According to my recent analysis with the Health Care Cost Institute, these costs have climbed dramatically in recent years, increasing by 89 percent in just six years.

Fees also differ greatly from one hospital to the next – and even within the same facility.

After being bitten by a raccoon in October 2016, Lisa Peterson discovered this the hard way. She contacted the public health department, who informed her that her only option for treatment was to go to her local emergency room.

Peterson was charged $14,444 by St. Mark’s Hospital in Salt Lake City for her first visit. In the end, she was held accountable for $941.

Peterson was struck by the fact that her emergency room would charge her different rates for her follow-up appointments. The appointments all felt the same to her: a brief trip to the emergency room for a rabies vaccine shot.

However, her trips were sometimes accompanied by a price “The “level 1” facility fee is the cheapest for the most basic visits. Another visit, however, was labeled as “level 2,” which was more expensive. Another example was “level 4,” which is usually designated for the most difficult trips.

These fees were added to her account in addition to her $250 emergency room copayment. When Peterson’s visit was recorded as level 1, she was charged a $105 facility cost, but a $679 facility price when her visit was coded as level 4.

Depending on the code the hospital used, Peterson’s part of the charge ranged from $51 to $230.

The hospital where Peterson was treated, St. Marks Hospital in Salt Lake City, did not respond to a request for comment on how it established the fees for Peterson’s care.

Peterson says it was aggravating that she couldn’t get her treatment — at least the follow-up doses, which don’t expire as quickly as the immunoglobulin — at a public health department, where she wouldn’t have to pay facility costs. However, the department has repeatedly assured her that it does not supply the drug and has no intentions to do so.

When it comes to health care, Peterson, like many other Americans, considers cost. She hasn’t seen a doctor about the pain in her shoulder because she doesn’t believe she has the funds to pay for therapy right now.

It was different with rabies treatment: she was faced with the possibility of being exposed to a disease that is always lethal. She needed to get help, and she didn’t have a choice about where she got it, so she had no choice but to pay whatever the emergency hospital requested.

“I’m getting it for the first time, and I’m heading to the emergency department,” she says. “But what about the next three? I’m not sure what you’re talking about. The fact that rabies can only be treated in an emergency room seemed completely counterintuitive. To me, that’s insane.”

Is 7 days too late for rabies vaccine?

• Yesterday morning, my patient discovered a bat in her son’s room. The bat flew out when she opened the window. She doesn’t believe the bat harmed her son. Is rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) required for her and her son?
• Only the son needs rabies PEP because he was sleeping in a room with a bat that couldn’t be tested, and we can’t be sure if the bat bit him when he was sleeping. Because the mother was not exposed to the bat while sleeping and had no direct touch with the bat, she does not require PEP.
• My patient began rabies prophylaxis and will receive her third rabies immunization (day 7) tomorrow. Is it okay to provide the day 7 vaccination 2 or 3 days late because she is now out of town? If yes, when should her fourth immunization (day 14) be administered?
• Minor variations from the suggested timetable are unimportant after the day 0 and 3 vaccines. Give the third immunization as near to the prescribed time as possible, then adjust the schedule and continue as if the patient were on schedule, providing the fourth vaccination seven days later.
• After one day of hunting, a neighbor’s cat that bit a child on the hand has not been discovered. Before starting the youngster on rabies PEP, how long should I advise the parent to look for the cat?
• Because the bite occurred to an extremity, you can let the mother look for the cat for another two to three days. PEP should be started if the cat has not been found by that time.
• What symptoms do cats (or dogs) show when they have rabies? My patient is restraining a cat that bit her for ten days after the bite. What should she be on the lookout for?
• Within 3 to 4 days after biting someone, an animal with the rabies virus in its saliva would develop severe sickness or die. (A safety factor is included in the 10-day observation period.) Loss of appetite, depression, lameness, fever, and neurologic indications such as behavior changes, vocalization, circling, or seizures are all things to look out for. If any of these symptoms appear in the cat, the owner should contact her veterinarian right away. If the cat is still alive 10 days after the bite, there was no rabies danger at the time of the bite.
• Two weeks ago, one of my patients was bitten by a dog in Mexico. He was given a rabies shot and told he was protected. Should I resume the PEP series from the beginning?
• In such cases, it is advisable to gather as much information as possible concerning immunizations administered outside of the United States before contacting MDH for a consultation.
• A patient who was recently bitten by a bat wonders if it is too late to obtain rabies PEP.
• Following an exposure, there is no time limit for administering PEP. PEP should still be started in this situation. Regardless of how long has passed since the exposure, human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) and four doses of rabies vaccine are suggested.
• In Minnesota, rabies PEP is not recommended after a squirrel bite. Check if the boy’s tetanus vaccination is current and clean the wound with soap and water. In Minnesota, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, rats, and other small rodents do not carry rabies.
• The rabies virus does not survive in the environment; UV light and desiccation inactivate it very instantly. Only direct touch with a rabid animal, such as a bite or saliva contact with a mucosal membrane, can transmit rabies. Rabies is not spread through contact with the environment or by aerosols.

How long does rabies vaccine provide immunity?

Rabies is a brain viral infection transmitted by animals that causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.

Rabies is almost invariably lethal once it reaches the spinal cord and brain. The biting wound could be painful or numb. Bat bites usually leave no visible signs or symptoms. Rabies symptoms emerge 30 to 50 days after a person is bitten, when the rabies virus reaches the brain or spinal cord. This gap, however, might range from ten days to more than a year. The faster symptoms occur, the closer the bite is to the brain (for example, on the face).

The disease can also be spread by skunks, raccoons, dogs, cats, coyotes, foxes, and other mammals. In the United States, human rabies is extremely rare. Since 1990, just 55 cases have been identified. Each year, however, between 16,000 and 39,000 people are vaccinated as a precaution after being bitten by an animal. In addition, rabies is significantly more prevalent in other parts of the world, with an estimated 40,000–70,000 rabies-related deaths per year. The majority of these cases are caused by dog bites from unvaccinated dogs.

Here are some options if you have been bitten by one of these animals. For 5 minutes, thoroughly clean the wound site with soap and water. After cleaning, use a virus-killing antiseptic such as povidone-iodine, iodine tincture, aqueous iodine solution, or alcohol (ethanol) if available. Mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose, and mouth should be cleansed thoroughly with water if exposed. It is critical to follow these procedures with appropriate rabies vaccination. If at all feasible, contact the authorities in charge of animal control.

Rabies vaccine is a preventative vaccine for rabies. A lot of vaccines that are both safe and effective are available. They can be used to prevent rabies before and after exposure to the virus, such as via a dog or bat bite, for a length of time. After completing the course, the immunity that develops is long-lasting.

Injections into the skin or muscle are commonly used to administer doses. Vaccination with rabies immunoglobulin is usually given after exposure. Those who are at a high risk of exposure should get vaccinated before they are exposed. Humans and other animals benefit from vaccines. Vaccinating dogs against rabies is a very effective way to prevent rabies from spreading to humans. Rabies vaccines are safe to use in people of all ages. A brief period of redness and soreness at the injection site occurs in about 35 to 45 percent of persons.

Fever, headaches, and nausea may affect 5 to 15% of people. There are no contraindications to using it after being exposed to rabies. The majority of immunizations are free of thimerosal. In 1885, the first rabies vaccine was introduced, followed by a better one in 1908. Millions of individuals have been vaccinated around the world, saving an estimated 250,000 people per year.

It is on the WHO’s List of Essential Medications, which includes the safest and most effective medicines required in a health system. As of 2014, the wholesale cost of a course of treatment in the poor countries ranged between 44 and 78 USD. A rabies vaccine course costs more than 750 dollars in the United States.

Vaccination is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for people who are at high risk of contracting the disease, such as youngsters who live in places where it is prevalent. Veterinarians, researchers, and anyone preparing to go to areas where rabies is prevalent are examples of such groups. The vaccination is given in three doses over the course of a month, on days zero, seven, and either twenty-one or twenty-eight.

Four doses over two weeks are suggested for people who have been exposed to the virus, as well as an injection of rabies immunoglobulin with the first dosage. Post-exposure vaccines are what they’re called. Only one dose of the rabies vaccine is required for persons who have already been immunized. Vaccination after exposure is neither a treatment nor a cure for rabies; it can only prevent the virus from reaching the brain and causing rabies in a person. Due to the long incubation time of the rabies virus, post-exposure immunizations are usually quite effective.

Immunity is usually long-lasting after a series of dosages. Additional doses are rarely required, unless the patient is at extremely high risk. Tests to assess rabies antibody in the blood may be performed on those at high risk, and rabies boosters may be administered as needed. One study indicated that after receiving a booster dosage, 97 percent of immunocompetent people have protective levels of neutralizing antibodies after ten years.

Rabies immunizations are safe for people of all ages. A brief period of redness and soreness at the injection site occurs in about 35 to 45 percent of persons. Fever, headaches, and nausea may affect 5 to 15% of people. Because rabies is always lethal, there is no reason not to use it after being exposed. The majority of immunizations are free of thimerosal. Nerve tissue vaccines are used in a few countries, mostly in Asia and Latin America, but they are less effective and have more adverse effects. As a result, the World Health Organization does not advocate their use.

As an additional rabies treatment, doctors will administer an Anti-Rabies Vaccine (VAR) or Anti-Rabies Serum (SAR) to patients. Anti-Rabies Vaccine (VAR) is a non-active rabies virus vaccine or active immunization. This vaccination can be given before or after an exposure (pre-exposure prophylaxis) (post-exposure prophylaxis). This vaccination is administered through injections into the skin or muscles. The vaccination is frequently given in conjunction with Rabies Immunoglobulin if given after exposure (SAR).

Anti-Rabies Serum (SAR) is a Rabies Immunoglobulin-based passive immunization that works to neutralize the rabies virus generated by an animal bite. Patients with high-risk wounds, such as those with repeated wounds, are administered Anti-Rabies Serum. Furthermore, when it comes to how long does rabies vaccine function in humans, it can provide protection for 7 to 10 days before induced antibodies emerge. Patients who have already received the Anti-Rabies Vaccine up to 7 days ahead to exposure do not require SAR.

In terms of how long does rabies vaccination function in humans, the vaccine’s immunity might endure a long time. The rabies vaccination has a shelf life of 3 to 10 years, depending on the booster dosage provided. Rabies vaccinations, for example, are given three times to prevent rabies: on the day of the first injection, on days 7 and 21, and on day 21 after the initial injection. It is recommended that persons who have had a lot of rabies exposure get a booster shot once a year and every 3 to 5 years. Vaccination is suggested every 10 years for persons who are not at high risk of rabies exposure but want to be protected.

If the person has not been vaccinated, however, 4 to 5 shots will be provided for post-exposure vaccination. If the immunization has been completed successfully, the following shot will be administered twice a year. Except for people at extremely high risk, more doses are rarely required. A study demonstrated that 97 percent of immuno-competent people showed a level of protection after the booster shot after ten years. As a result, when it comes to how long does rabies vaccination work in humans, immunity is usually long-lasting after a series of doses.

If left untreated, rabies is nearly invariably fatal. In fact, once a person with rabies begins to show signs, they almost always die. This is why it’s critical to get medical help straight away if you’ve been bitten by an animal, especially if it’s a wild animal. PEP (vaccination after exposure) is highly effective in preventing disease when given early, usually within six days of infection. PEP is 100 percent effective against rabies when started with little or no delay. Even if PEP is administered after a large delay, the treatment has a probability of success.

There is no indication that the vaccine will harm unborn children if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. The vaccine was proven to be safe in a study of 200 pregnant women in Thailand.

Although it is unknown whether the vaccination is expressed in human milk, any vaccine found in breast milk should not cause harm. For the sake of the mother’s and baby’s safety, you must always seek medical advice first. If you have any further questions concerning Rabies Vaccine while visiting Bali, you can contact Unicare Clinic. They will supply you with all of the information you want for the Rabies Vaccine. In addition, with the help of their skilled health care, they will offer you with the vaccine when you require it.

What is rabies?

Rabies is a virus-borne disease that is spread from animals to humans. There are two types of rabies symptoms: frenzied and paralytic. The most prevalent form of human rabies is frantic rabies.

How is rabies transmitted?

The rabies virus infects mammals’ neurological systems. When a rabid animal bites or scratches someone, it transmits the disease mostly through its saliva. The disease can also be transmitted through licks to wounds, scratched and damaged skin, and the lining of the mouth and nose. In South-East Asia, dogs are responsible for 96% of human rabies cases, although there have also been reports of human rabies caused by bites from cats, mongooses, jackals, foxes, wolves, and other carnivorous animals. Rabies from monkey and rat bites is extremely rare. When horses and donkeys get rabid, they become aggressive and bite viciously. When cattle and buffaloes are rabid, they do not bite, but caution should be exercised when inspecting sick animals that are salivating.

How does one treat an animal bite?

• Wounds should be cleansed and flushed for 10–15 minutes with soap and water. If soap isn’t available, simply flush with water. This is the most effective rabies first-aid treatment.
• If available, clean wounds thoroughly with 70 percent alcohol/ethanol or povidone-iodine.
• Take the person to a healthcare center as soon as possible for further treatment.

How long does it take for dogs and cats to develop rabies, and how long does a rabid animal survive?

The incubation period can be anywhere from a few days to many months, while the disease lasts anywhere from one to seven days.

What are the signs and symptoms of rabies in humans?

• The simple sight of water may later cause spasms in the neck and throat.
• The illness normally lasts 2–3 days, but it can last up to 5–6 days or more if you get acute treatment.

How common is rabies in India?

The most prevalent transmitting animal in India is the dog, which accounts for more than 96 percent of infections. According to a countrywide multicentric rabies survey conducted in 2003, around 17 million animal bites occur annually in India, with 20 000 human rabies deaths. Children account for about 35% of these cases.

Is there any specific treatment for a rabies patient?

Once rabies has developed, there is no specific treatment. Apart from keeping the patient comfortable and free of physical pain and emotional distress, there is essentially nothing that can be done.

Is simply observing the biting dog or cat for 10 days without starting treatment justified?

No. It is mandatory to begin treatment and keep the biting dog/cat under 10 days of surveillance in countries where rabies is common in a big population of dogs and cats. If the animal remains healthy during the observation period, the post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) vaccination can be converted to a pre-exposure regimen, which means the vaccine will be used to prevent rabies if the animal is bitten again.

Under what conditions do we have to take anti-rabies vaccination after being bitten?

If you are bitten by a rabid or suspected rabies-infected dog, cat, or other animal, you must receive post-exposure rabies prophylaxis (PEP).

Do you have to take vaccination against rabies if a vaccinated dog bites you?

No, not if the dog has been adequately vaccinated against rabies and the vaccine’s efficiency has been shown in the lab. Otherwise, a post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) should be administered.

Is there a single-dose human rabies vaccine which will provide life-long immunity?

No. There is no single-dose rabies vaccine that can confer lifetime immunity anyplace in the world. Single-dose vaccines are available, however they only offer protection for a short duration.

What type of rabies vaccines are available in India?

The following are the several types of rabies vaccines that are currently in use:

Human diploid cell vaccine (HDCV), purified Vero cell rabies vaccine (PVRV), purified chick-embryo cell vaccine (PCECV), and purified duck embryo vaccine are all commercially available rabies vaccinations (PDEV).

What are the comparative advantages of using the modern rabies vaccines?

Modern rabies vaccines are more effective, safer to use, and provide longer-lasting immunity, which is significant given the long incubation period of rabies infection.

What is the exact Schedule of vaccination of anti-rabies vaccines?

The usual vaccination schedule consists of five doses given on days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 30, with day ‘0’ being the first day of vaccination. To previously unprotected people, a rabies vaccine schedule of 5 one-mL doses should be given intramuscularly. After exposure, the first dose of the 5-dose course should be given as soon as practicable. Day 0 of the post-exposure prophylaxis series begins on this day. Following the first vaccine, further doses should be given on days 3, 7, 14, and 28.

What happens if I miss a rabies shot?

If you have not yet had the vaccine and have been exposed to the rabies virus, you will require five doses over the course of a month. You will also be given a rabies immune globulin shot. It is critical that you do not skip any doses of the rabies vaccine in order for it to work effectively.

How painful is rabies shot?

When a patient comes in with an animal bite, you’re always hoping that the animal has a known vaccination history or that it can be detained for 10 days to see if it starts to show signs and symptoms of rabies. 1

Rabies immunizations can be traumatic, and immunoglobulin administration can involve a large number of needles for the patient all at once. The patient must also return at particular times to comply with the immunization schedule, which can be costly and difficult. But, unfortunately, when the animal is unknown and the attack is unprovoked, rabies vaccinations are required.

So, when my hospital notified me a few months ago that the fifth post-exposure immunization was no longer required, I was startled and curious as to what had changed in the protocol. I decided to look up the CDC’s recommendations on the subject, and I discovered a few other things in the process.

Can you get rabies from a scratch?

The rabies virus is spread by direct contact with saliva or brain/nervous system tissue from an infected animal (such as through broken skin or mucous membranes in the eyes, nose, or mouth).

Rabies is usually transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. People can catch rabies from non-bite exposures such as scratches, abrasions, or open wounds exposed to saliva or other potentially infectious material from a rabid animal, but this is uncommon. Other sorts of interaction, such as touching a rabid animal or coming into contact with a rabid animal’s blood, urine, or excrement, are not linked to infection and are not considered rabies exposures.

Aside from bites and scrapes, other means of transmission are infrequent. One non-bite form of exposure is inhalation of aerosolized rabies virus, although most people, with the exception of laboratory personnel, will not come into contact with an aerosol of rabies virus. Rabies has been transmitted through corneal and solid organ transplants, but these cases are extremely rare. Since 2008, there have only been two known rabies-infected solid organ donors in the United States. For determining the eligibility of each donor, many organ procurement organizations have incorporated a screening question about rabies exposure to their processes.

Rabies might theoretically be transmitted by bites and non-bite exposures from an infected person, although no such cases have been documented. Contact with non-infectious fluid or tissue (urine, blood, feces) or touching a person with rabies is not linked to an increased risk of infection. Contact with someone having rabies vaccine does not result in rabies exposure, illness, or the need for postexposure prophylaxis.

When the rabies virus dries out and is exposed to sunshine, it becomes non-infectious. The rate at which a virus becomes inactive is affected by various environmental factors, but in general, if the virus-containing material is dry, the virus is deemed noninfectious.