Rabies scare: Animal bite!

Mark Baker17 said:actually, if you get bitten by an animal where there's no data available, or if the creature isn't accessible
for quarantine, the standard recommendation is to just go ahead with the rabies vaccine...

That’s exactly right. I actually had a run-in with a bat about ten years ago that ended up biting me. The doctors told me that since I accidentally killed it, they couldn't send it off for testing to see if it was actually rabid or not. Since they couldn't verify anything, they insisted I get the shots, even though it most likely wasn't infected. Those post-exposure vaccines can be incredibly expensive, but then again, rabies is a hundred percent fatal, so my doctor wasn't about to take any chances with my life.

So, I got bit by a dog way back in the early 90s and they gave me the rabies shots then. Am I basically immune for life now or am I gonna need another round? Not even tripping about it, it's just that I'm always messing around with all kinds of stray cats...

Harold Anderson3 said:Exactly. About ten years ago, I actually got bitten by a bat on my hand. They told me I’d accidentally killed it, and if I hadn't, they would have sent it off for testing to see if it was rabid or not. But since I did, they had to force the treatment on me, even though it most likely wasn't infected. The post-exposure vaccine is incredibly pricey, but then again, rabies is basically a 100% death sentence, so my doctor wasn't about to take any chances.

The vaccine itself is actually pretty cheap... it's the immunoglobulin that's the killer, costing around $1,100 per dose.
One shot of the vaccine provides coverage for about five years, but if someone gets exposed to the virus without being previously vaccinated, they have to get both the IG and the vaccine.

If the person has been vaccinated at any point within that five-year window prior to exposure, then they just need the vaccine (though, in extreme cases, maybe they'll get the IG too).

So, I guess it really does make sense to "preserve" the animal if you possibly can.

Angela Murphy74 said:Hmm, I actually had a run-in with a dog back in the early 90s and ended up getting vaccinated for rabies right after. I was just wondering if that counts as lifelong immunity or if I’m supposed to get a booster shot down the line. Not that I’m particularly worried, but since I tend to be a bit of a sucker for every stray cat I run into...

I remember being told once that the vaccine only lasts about a year, though Mark Baker17 mentioned it might cover you for five years instead.
It’s very possible that medical guidelines have shifted since then, too.

@Mark Baker17/">@@Mark Baker17 thanks for adding that extra bit of info, I appreciate it! 😉

Harold Anderson3 said:Well, I was under the impression the vaccine lasted about a year, but now Mark Baker17 is claiming it lasts five years.
I suppose things probably changed again in the meantime, right?

@Mark Baker17/">@@Mark Baker17 thanks for filling in the gaps, anyway. 😉

There’s just so much nuance involved here—stuff like vaccine quality, storage conditions, general health,
the state of your immune system, and all that.
But, say you get vaccinated today, and then in a few months you actually get bitten by a rabid dog...
you’d likely still receive a few booster doses just to be safe. I guess saying five years is a decent ballpark figure, though it’s
highly variable. I mean, even after, say, twenty years, you might still have enough antibodies left over
to prevent the disease from taking hold if the viral load is low enough...

Does anyone here happen to know someone who experienced any side effects after receiving this rabies vaccine?

Charles Rivera7 said:Does anyone here know someone who actually dealt with side effects from this rabies vaccine?

Yeah.

neonsailor26 said:I was actually there. Now I’m planning on seeking out a fifth opinion.

The first doctor I saw didn't even bother to physically examine my hand. She just told me to move it left and right so she could see where the scratch was. After that, she concluded there wasn't even a scratch—which is nonsense, because there is one, it's just incredibly tiny. At that point, I just stood up, grabbed my paperwork, and walked out.

After her, I went to the Public Health Clinic to get checked out there. The situation was much better. I walked into a room where two technicians were working. The older guy asked what I needed, so I explained why I was there. He took my hand, moved it side to side, and similarly concluded he couldn't see anything on the skin, but he did advise me that if the wound suddenly turns red and swells up again, I should come back for an injection. That was the end of my second exam.

Now I want to know: did they screw up? Is that actually possible?

I can't exactly go underground over this, 👎👎👎 my God.

I've been scratched by cats so many times—mine and others'—that unless I ended up with rabies, you definitely won't.
Personally, I wouldn't even worry about it unless it was glaringly obvious that something was wrong with that cat.

Mark Baker17 said:There’s still a massive amount of nuance to consider—everything from vaccine quality and storage protocols to general health,
immune system strength, and so on.
But, say you get vaccinated today, and then a few months later you actually get bitten by a rabid dog; well,
you'd likely just receive a couple of booster doses as a precaution... Five years is a rough estimate, I suppose, and
it's highly variable, because even after, say, twenty years, you might still have enough antibodies
to prevent the disease from taking hold if the viral load is low enough...

Well, yeah, the cost of immunoglobulin has skyrocketed over the last decade or so...
https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/...rviving-rabies

And then you have these people popping up who think they can just go out and vaccinate themselves... just to avoid an early grave, I guess.

Hi everyone,

Early Sunday morning, I woke up to find a bat in my bedroom. I have no clue how it even got in there. Honestly, seeing a bat wouldn't have bothered me that much if I hadn't just read about how they can carry rabies. Apparently, in places like Canada or the USA, doctors recommend getting vaccinated even if you aren't certain you were bitten, since their bites can be so tiny you don't even feel them. The more I look this up, the more paranoid I get. Am I totally overreacting here? I assume the number of infected bats isn't huge, but it still weighs on me. Plus, I'm not even in my hometown right now—I'm staying in New York City for a few weeks—so I'm feeling a bit out of my element...
Sorry if this sounds silly or overly dramatic. I just really needed to vent somewhere because the anxiety is starting to take over. It would honestly mean a lot if someone could just tell me I'm being paranoid and probably don't need to worry about this.😁

Elizabeth Miller35 said:Hey everyone!

I woke up early Sunday morning to find a bat hanging out right in my bedroom. Honestly, I wasn't even panicking at first—it wouldn't have been a huge deal if I hadn't gone down a rabbit hole online afterward. Now I’m reading that bats can carry rabies, and apparently, in places like Canada or the US, doctors actually recommend getting vaccinated even if you aren't 100% sure you were bitten, since their bites can be so tiny you don't even feel them. The more I read, the more paranoid I get! Am I totally overreacting here? I assume the number of infected bats is super low, but I still can't help feeling uneasy. To make matters worse, I'm not even in my hometown right now—I'm staying in New York City for a few weeks—so I don't really know where to turn.
Sorry if this sounds a bit dramatic or even stupid, but I just really needed to vent somewhere. I’m starting to feel super paranoid about this, and honestly, it would mean the world if someone could just tell me I'm overthinking it and that there's nothing to worry about!😁

I read somewhere that the situation with bats is totally different and completely disconnected from how this virus behaves in other animals. In much of the European Union, they've actually managed to wipe it out in wild populations through vaccination programs. I’m not sure about the status in urban areas regarding dogs, cats, or rats, but when it comes to bats—which are a whole different world entirely—I haven't heard a thing.
It wouldn't hurt to track down the number for reporting bite incidents and get some professional advice. I'm pretty sure you'll want to reach out to the local Public Health Clinic, specifically their epidemiology department.

You'll be finding out more soon enough!

velvetstag5 said:I read somewhere that the situation with bats is completely different compared to how this virus behaves in other animals. In much of the European Union, they've actually managed to wipe it out in wild populations through vaccination programs. I'm not sure about the status for urban pets like dogs, cats, or rats, but bats are a whole different world entirely.
It wouldn't hurt to find the number for reporting bites and just get some professional advice. I think you should call the local health department, specifically their epidemiology department.

At least you'll get some real answers.

Thanks so much for the reply. 👍 I reached out to them and they referred me to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rabies clinic. The website they linked says I don't even need an appointment, so I'm planning to head over first thing tomorrow morning.
I'm just hoping I can talk to someone there who can give me some peace of mind.😵