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I Was Bitten On My Hand By A Cat Over
Question: I was bitten on my hand by a cat over 6 years ago. I don’t know what happened with the cat. I Have not taken a rabies vaccine. No symptoms or signs of rabies. What are my chances of developing the rabies? Should I ask for rabies vaccine now?
Brief Answer:
Rabies vaccine not needed after 6 years
Detailed Answer:
Hello, I'm Dr. Branch,
Thanks for using 'Ask A Doctor' service.
Rabies has an incubation period usually 1-3 months, so after 6 years, I do not believe you would need to worry about rabies. There was one case of someone getting rabies 8 years after being bitten, but this is the longest I've ever heard of, and would be extremely rare.
One point that might reassure us is what you were doing with the cat when it bit you. Did it attack you unprovoked, or were you trying to pet it or anything? If you did something that might have scared it, then I definitely wouldn't worry about it.
If it attacked you out of nowhere, and you didn't see the cat at all after that, I probably would have recommended the rabies vaccine at that time, but again, after 6 years, I don't think you need to worry about it.
If you were still worried about the exceptionally small chance of getting rabies, I would check with your local health department to see if they would give you the vaccine at this point or not.
I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any other questions, I would be glad to discuss it with you further.
Rabies vaccine not needed after 6 years
Detailed Answer:
Hello, I'm Dr. Branch,
Thanks for using 'Ask A Doctor' service.
Rabies has an incubation period usually 1-3 months, so after 6 years, I do not believe you would need to worry about rabies. There was one case of someone getting rabies 8 years after being bitten, but this is the longest I've ever heard of, and would be extremely rare.
One point that might reassure us is what you were doing with the cat when it bit you. Did it attack you unprovoked, or were you trying to pet it or anything? If you did something that might have scared it, then I definitely wouldn't worry about it.
If it attacked you out of nowhere, and you didn't see the cat at all after that, I probably would have recommended the rabies vaccine at that time, but again, after 6 years, I don't think you need to worry about it.
If you were still worried about the exceptionally small chance of getting rabies, I would check with your local health department to see if they would give you the vaccine at this point or not.
I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any other questions, I would be glad to discuss it with you further.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Arnab Banerjee
Thank you for the response. The cat is a community cat. It wasn’t aggressive. I was able to XXXXXXX it on the head but when my hand reached it’s tummy it bit me.
Brief Answer:
No concerns
Detailed Answer:
Yes, in that case, I wouldn't be concerned at all, that would be considered normal behavior for a cat and not a risk factor for rabies. If I were you, I wouldn't give it another thought.
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I'd be glad to help any way I can.
No concerns
Detailed Answer:
Yes, in that case, I wouldn't be concerned at all, that would be considered normal behavior for a cat and not a risk factor for rabies. If I were you, I wouldn't give it another thought.
Please let me know if you have any other questions, I'd be glad to help any way I can.
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
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