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This event occurred in the US. In the US, enzootic (dog-to-dog) canine rabies virus has been virtually eliminated through vaccination and stray control programs, making wild animals the primary concern.
It is quite true, as @EMT_Jedi stated, that rabies is usually caused by an animal's saliva, usually introduced by a bite (e.g. rabid cats, raccoons, etc.) ...
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Brief background
There are 2 major types of vaccines, passive and active vaccines. Passive vaccines are simply "antibodies" to fight off disease and active vaccines are "dead/weakened/components(e.g. proteins)" of the offending agent to allow your body to produce your own antibodies.
Same is true for anti tetanus, (which may come in ...
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Wound cleansing is especially important when bitten, as it has been shown to remarlably reduce the risk of infections from animal bites in general, and in some animal studies, the likelihood of rabies infection.
This treatment should be immediate: irrigate with water or diluted water povidone-iodine solution.
You should consult a doctor as soon as possible....
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According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control). Rabies is transmitted via saliva of infected mammals, bats in your case. You state that you were not bitten, and did not feel any type of liquid on your person. You also stated that you thoroughly washed afterwards. If you did not have any open wounds at that time, I wouldn't be too worried about the ...
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Yes, rabies is most definitely contagious.
The most common route of infection is from the bite of an infected animal, which introduces virus-laden saliva to the victim. It's also possible, though much less likely, to be exposed to infective saliva in the eyes, nose and mouth.
The CDC claims that a person-to-person transmission of the virus via bite is ...
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As with many viral diseases, the symptoms begin very similar to those for influenza, including weakness and discomfort, general malaise, fever and headache.
The acute period for rabies generally lasts from 2 to 10 days, and may involve itching or prickling at the site of the bite (notwithstanding the symptoms of having been bitten) and then progress to a ...
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This cat may be harboring rabies that will be discovered up to 11 months from now, in one rare case 6 years. The typical incubation period for rabies runs 21 to 240 days. Hence, the usual legal 6-month (183 day) quarantine for possible rabies infections in any animals -- that duration is just beyond the peak of this incubation-range curve. A 6-month ...
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Follow your doctor's advice and complete the post-exposure prophylaxis.
Yes, the risk of rabies is low. But the reason that it is treated so seriously is that if you contract rabies it will invariably be fatal.
Even though the kitten is behaving normally now, you cannot be sure at this point that the kitten does not have rabies. If it is rabid, by the time ...
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When the rabies virus is spread to a new host, it first attacks muscle cells, which prevents the host's immune system from recognizing the invasion. Next, it binds to neurons at neuromuscular junction. Rabies virus is neurotropic, thus it binds preferentially to neurons, specifically the acetylcholine receptors on neurons. After binding the neuromuscular ...
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When a cat (or any other mammal) displays the symptoms of rabies (and biting with no reason is one of the symptoms), it dies within 10 days. No exception.
If the cat is infected, but does not display the symptoms, it can't infect any other animal, or yourself.
Conclusion: if the cat is still alive after 12 days, there is no reason why you should be infected.
...
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It is thought you need to have completed the series of rabies vaccination for at least 7 days to be protected. If that is not the case, then you'll need rabies immunoglobulin as well.
Pre-exposure rabies vaccination consists of three full intramuscular (i.m.) doses of cell-culture- or embryonated-egg-based vaccine given on days 0, 7 and 21 or 28 (a few ...
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The CDC points out that:
From numerous studies conducted on rabid dogs, cats, and ferrets, we know that when the rabies virus is introduced into a muscle through a bite from another animal, it travels from the site of the bite to the brain by moving within nerves. The animal does not appear ill during this time.
The time between the bite and the ...
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It is because rabies take time to kill you and vaccine that you are given is 'dead' virus so it makes it easy to develop antibodies against and when you have antibodies you can fight actual virus
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