| The following information is taken from
the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
Rabies web page. Please visit the CDC for more information.
How do people get rabies?
People usually get rabies from the bite of a rabid animal. It is
also possible, but quite rare, that people may get rabies if infectious
material from a rabid animal, such as saliva, gets directly into their
eyes, nose, mouth or a wound.
Can I get rabies in any way other than an animal bite?
Non-bite exposures to rabies are very rare. Scratches, abrasions,
open wounds or mucous membranes contaminated with saliva or other
potentially infectious material (such as brain tissue) from a rabid animal
constitute non-bite exposures. Occasionally reports of non-bite
exposure are such that post-exposure prophylaxis is given.
Inhalation of aerosolized rabies virus is also a potential non-bite
route of exposure, but other than laboratory workers, most people are
unlikely to encounter an aerosol of rabies virus.
Other contact, such as petting a rabid animal or contact with the
blood, urine or feces (e.g., guano) of a rabid animal, does not constitute
an exposure and is not an indication for prophylaxis.
How soon after an exposure should I seek medical attention?
Medical assistance should be obtained as soon as possible after an
exposure. There have been no vaccine failures in the United States
(i.e., someone developed rabies) when post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) was
given promptly and appropriately after an exposure.
What medical attention do I need if I am exposed to rabies?
One of the most effective methods to decrease the chances for infection
involves thorough washing of the wound with soap and water. Specific
medical attention for someone exposed to rabies is called
post-exposure prophylaxis or PEP. In the United States,
PEP consists of a regimen of one dose of immune globulin and five doses of
rabies vaccine over a 28-day period. Rabies immune globulin and the
first dose of rabies vaccine should be given by your health care provider
as soon as possible after exposure. Additional doses of rabies
vaccine should be given on days 3, 7, 14, and 28 after the first
vaccination. Current vaccines are relatively painless and are given in
your arm, like a flu or tetanus vaccine.
Will the rabies vaccine make me sick?
Adverse reactions to rabies vaccine and immune globulin are not common.
Newer vaccines in use today cause fewer adverse reactions than previously
available vaccines. Mild, local reactions to the rabies vaccine,
such as pain, redness, swelling, or itching at the injection site, have
been reported. Rarely, symptoms such as headache, nausea, abdominal
pain, muscle aches, and dizziness have been reported. Local pain and
low-grade fever may follow injection of rabies immune globulin.
Can rabies be transmitted from one person to another?
The only documented cases of rabies caused by human-to-human transmission
occurred among 8 recipients of transplanted corneas. Investigations
revealed each of the donors had died of an illness compatible with or
proven to be rabies. The 8 cases occurred in 5 countries:
Thailand (2 cases), India (2 cases), Iran (2 cases), the United States (1
case), and France (1 case). Stringent guidelines for acceptance of
donor corneas have reduced this risk.
In addition to transmission from corneal transplants, bite and non-bite
exposures inflicted by infected humans could theoretically transmit
rabies, but no such cases have been documented. Casual contact, such
as touching a person with rabies or contact with non-infectious fluid or
tissue (urine, blood, feces) does not constitute an exposure and does not
require PEP. In addition, contact with someone who is receiving
rabies vaccination does not constitute rabies exposure and does not
require PEP.
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