What should you know about rabies?

Rabies virus can be transmitted when saliva from an infected mammal enters a bite, scratch, open wound, or the eyes or mouth. Dogs, bats, foxes, and other mammals may be involved depending on the setting. You cannot reliably judge risk from the animal’s appearance, so the incident should be assessed by a health professional.

Once symptoms develop, rabies is extremely dangerous. This is why prevention is planned after a possible exposure rather than waiting for fever, tingling, confusion, difficulty swallowing, or unusual behaviour.

Wash the wound immediately with plenty of soap and running water, taking care not to scrub deeply or close the wound yourself. If available, use an appropriate antiseptic after washing. Do not handle the animal again; record where and when the incident happened and seek urgent medical advice.

A clinician may recommend Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, which can include wound care, vaccine, and an antibody treatment depending on the exposure and previous vaccination. Rabies Vaccination may also be discussed before exposure for people with ongoing occupational or travel risk.

Seek urgent medical assessment today after any bite or scratch from a potentially infected mammal, saliva contact with broken skin or mucous membranes, or direct bat contact that cannot be confidently excluded. Go to emergency care for difficulty breathing or swallowing, confusion, severe agitation, or rapidly worsening neurological symptoms.

Tell the clinician the animal species, country or area, time of contact, wound location, whether skin was broken, and any previous rabies vaccine. Ask whether you need vaccine, antibody treatment, wound review, or follow-up doses.