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I Have A Question About A Rabies Vaccine . My
Question: I have a question about a rabies vaccine. My dog (who is vaccinated) was attacked by a stray animal. I bent down to help him, and he shook out his coat. Blood from his bite sprayed near my eyes and mouth (I'm not sure if it went in or not). Would you suggest I get a rabies vaccination?
Brief Answer:
I wouldn't but...
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
welcome to the 'Ask a Doctor' service.
Rabies transmission requires contact with infected saliva. A cut in the skin is a prerequisite. Another potential gate for the virus to enter the body is through mucosal membranes.
For the kind of "exposure" you've described I don't believe that there is any risk at all. Be warned though that there are no studies to shed light on such cases. In your case transmission may have occurred if the following conditions were met:
- the stray animal was infected
- the material that came into contact with your eyes/mouth was infected saliva
- the material did come into contact with the mucosal surfaces
- the virus on this material had not been inactivated yet
I kind of doubt that all 4 conditions may apply to your case. If you'd like to have peace of mind for the coming months then you can go on and get the vaccines. If the stray animal can be monitored for approximately 10 days then you can find out whether vaccination is necessary or not. If the animal develops symptoms of rabies then vaccination would be necessary. Otherwise you could just forget it.
I hope I've answered your question. Please let me know if you need further assistance.
Kind Regards!
I wouldn't but...
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
welcome to the 'Ask a Doctor' service.
Rabies transmission requires contact with infected saliva. A cut in the skin is a prerequisite. Another potential gate for the virus to enter the body is through mucosal membranes.
For the kind of "exposure" you've described I don't believe that there is any risk at all. Be warned though that there are no studies to shed light on such cases. In your case transmission may have occurred if the following conditions were met:
- the stray animal was infected
- the material that came into contact with your eyes/mouth was infected saliva
- the material did come into contact with the mucosal surfaces
- the virus on this material had not been inactivated yet
I kind of doubt that all 4 conditions may apply to your case. If you'd like to have peace of mind for the coming months then you can go on and get the vaccines. If the stray animal can be monitored for approximately 10 days then you can find out whether vaccination is necessary or not. If the animal develops symptoms of rabies then vaccination would be necessary. Otherwise you could just forget it.
I hope I've answered your question. Please let me know if you need further assistance.
Kind Regards!
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you! I am still a little anxious about it, so I called two different hospitals. Neither would write a script for a vaccination. Do you have any more suggestions?
Brief Answer:
nothing more
Detailed Answer:
You're welcome!
I don't have anything more to add. If the animal can be found and monitored for signs of the disease then this would be the best way to proceed.
Kind Regards!
nothing more
Detailed Answer:
You're welcome!
I don't have anything more to add. If the animal can be found and monitored for signs of the disease then this would be the best way to proceed.
Kind Regards!
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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