Just got back from the doctor where I began a month long rabies vaccination for an animal bite I received late last week. I was attempting to rescue a medium sized dog from the middle of a major street during 5 o'clock traffic. The combination of me grabbing him and the cars rushing at us scared him and he rolled over and bit me. My hand just ended up in his mouth somehow and I received a small bite to my index finger. When I released the dog he fled so we began the rabies vaccination as a precautionary measure.
There are some interesting things I learned about rabies, and things everyone should know:
First, rabies is extremely hard to diagnose. Diagnosis typically happens just before death or well after death.
Second, the initial symptoms are headache, a general ill feeling, and increases nervous system sensitivity (touch, smell, feeling, etc.) which are very misleading because they are common.
Third, and the most important to realize. If you have not received treatment by the onset of these symptoms you are dead.
Fourth, the incubation period can be as short as six days, but two weeks to three months is most common.
Fifth, only the health department has the vaccine and the globulin, the hospital, your doctor etc. will have to get it from them. This takes time.
Sixth, many animals who have rabies show no signs. This is especially true of animals who are infected by bats (which happen to be this largest transmitter of rabies).
Seventh, Rabies is primarily transmitted by saliva and people can be infected through a wound as small as a scratch.
The best way to to reduce the risk of rabies when bitten is to wash any wound thoroughly with soap and warm water. Physically wash the wound out, if you have to get aggressive to clean the inside of the wound do it. You are attempting to wash away any and all traces. Antibiotics, first aid sprays, hydrogen peroxide, and the like are useless. Immediately after thoroughly cleaning the wound go to the emergency room.
Again, rabies has a 100% mortality rate so seek treatment for a bite from any animal immediately. No one day later, not a week later...the day of the bite. If you wait until symptoms appear you are dead.
So, I received about 12 shots (9cc's of globulin) in my left index finger, 1 shot (6cc's of globulin) in my left hip and 1 shot of vaccine in my right arm. I have 4 more injections over the next 4 weeks.
The upside is the whole process is basically painless and I will be virtually immune to rabies after this treatment. The downside is my finger looks horrible (it's way fatter than my big toe and is so full of globulin I can't move it), it's expensive, and I would rather be doing something else.
Chris S
There are some interesting things I learned about rabies, and things everyone should know:
First, rabies is extremely hard to diagnose. Diagnosis typically happens just before death or well after death.
Second, the initial symptoms are headache, a general ill feeling, and increases nervous system sensitivity (touch, smell, feeling, etc.) which are very misleading because they are common.
Third, and the most important to realize. If you have not received treatment by the onset of these symptoms you are dead.
Fourth, the incubation period can be as short as six days, but two weeks to three months is most common.
Fifth, only the health department has the vaccine and the globulin, the hospital, your doctor etc. will have to get it from them. This takes time.
Sixth, many animals who have rabies show no signs. This is especially true of animals who are infected by bats (which happen to be this largest transmitter of rabies).
Seventh, Rabies is primarily transmitted by saliva and people can be infected through a wound as small as a scratch.
The best way to to reduce the risk of rabies when bitten is to wash any wound thoroughly with soap and warm water. Physically wash the wound out, if you have to get aggressive to clean the inside of the wound do it. You are attempting to wash away any and all traces. Antibiotics, first aid sprays, hydrogen peroxide, and the like are useless. Immediately after thoroughly cleaning the wound go to the emergency room.
Again, rabies has a 100% mortality rate so seek treatment for a bite from any animal immediately. No one day later, not a week later...the day of the bite. If you wait until symptoms appear you are dead.
So, I received about 12 shots (9cc's of globulin) in my left index finger, 1 shot (6cc's of globulin) in my left hip and 1 shot of vaccine in my right arm. I have 4 more injections over the next 4 weeks.
The upside is the whole process is basically painless and I will be virtually immune to rabies after this treatment. The downside is my finger looks horrible (it's way fatter than my big toe and is so full of globulin I can't move it), it's expensive, and I would rather be doing something else.
Chris S
