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Is Rabies Vaccination Required After Coming In Contact With Saliva Of Rabid Raccoon?
Question: Hello doctor, i saw a racoon on road not been able to walk properly i thought it is wounded by a car so i put a jacket on it. it tried to bite the jacket and then I took a stick and pushed it into a bagsack..and closed the zip of the bag..i did not touch the racoon and it did not bite me. but i picked up the jacket with my hands. i soon realized may be it has rabies so i put the bag sack on ground, opened the zip and left the scene, washed my hands later and took a shower ... do i need to take rabies vaccine?
Brief Answer:
if there was no contact or bite then the vaccine would not be needed
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Rabies can spread from an rabid racoon through saliva. Typically this is through a bite but you were not bitten.
It can also occur if there is a cut , scratch or other wound that is exposed to the saliva.
It is not transmitted by touching an animal if there is no open area or bite.
Since you did not touch the racoon directly (so it would not have been in contact with any broken areas of your skin) or there was no bite, then there is no risk of transmission of rabies , if it was infected.
This means that you would not need the vaccine
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
if there was no contact or bite then the vaccine would not be needed
Detailed Answer:
HI, thanks for using healthcare magic
Rabies can spread from an rabid racoon through saliva. Typically this is through a bite but you were not bitten.
It can also occur if there is a cut , scratch or other wound that is exposed to the saliva.
It is not transmitted by touching an animal if there is no open area or bite.
Since you did not touch the racoon directly (so it would not have been in contact with any broken areas of your skin) or there was no bite, then there is no risk of transmission of rabies , if it was infected.
This means that you would not need the vaccine
I hope this helps, feel free to ask any other questions
Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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