Rabies

Our Approach

Our doctors can give you a fast-acting immune globulin shot if you've been exposed to rabies. You will then receive injections of rabies vaccines over several days.

If you aren't sure if you've been bitten by an infected animal (for example, a bat flew into your room while you were sleeping), you should still seek medical attention. You should also assume that people who can't report a bite, such as infants or a disabled person, have been bitten.

Prompt medical attention after an animal bite is important. Rabies is almost always fatal if left untreated.

How is rabies diagnosed?

Your doctor or emergency room physician can diagnose rabies. After reviewing the circumstances of your bite, your doctor will decide if you need a series of rabies vaccines.

What is rabies?

Rabies is a disease caused by a virus that is present in the saliva of infected animals. You can get rabies if you are bitten by an infected animal. Rarely, rabies is transmitted when infected saliva gets into someone's eye, mouth or an open wound.

What causes rabies?

In the United States, infected wild animals usually transmit the disease to humans. These animals include:

• Bats
• Coyotes
• Foxes
• Raccoons
• Woodchucks

It is rare for dogs to transmit rabies in the U.S. But in many other parts of the world, stray dogs are the most common source of rabies infection in humans.

Notify animal control officers or those in authority if you see any animals that are behaving strangely.

Rabies symptoms

Animals infected with rabies behave unusually. They may:

• Act tame
• Be aggressive
• Drool
• Foam at the mouth
• Move very slowly

Rabies symptoms can begin just a few days after a bite from an infected animal. But sometimes, symptoms may not appear for several weeks. Symptoms of rabies in humans include:

• Abnormal thoughts or hallucinations
• Confusion and anxiety
• Fatigue
• Fear of water
• Fever
• Headache
• Increased saliva or foaming at the mouth
• Irritability, agitation or aggressiveness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pain
• Partial paralysis
• Seizures
• Tingling sensation in the muscle tissue near the bite area

How to prevent rabies?

To prevent rabies:

• Make sure your pets are up to date on their rabies shots.
• Never touch or feed stray dogs, cats or other animals.

Should I get the rabies vaccine?

If you are at a higher risk for exposure to rabies, you should get a pre-exposure rabies vaccine. You are at higher risk if you are:

• An animal handler
• A veterinarian
• An international traveler going to destinations where rabies is more common