What should you know about distemper rabies?

Distemper is an illness mainly associated with certain animals and is not the same infection as rabies. Rabies can spread when saliva from an infected mammal enters a bite, scratch, open wound, or the eyes or mouth. A person's risk depends on the animal, the contact, and local rabies patterns; symptoms cannot safely rule out exposure. Do not wait for illness to appear before seeking advice after a concerning contact.

Wash a bite or scratch promptly with soap and running water, and avoid putting irritants into the wound. Do not handle an unfamiliar or ill animal again. Contact urgent medical services as soon as possible for an exposure assessment. Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis may include wound care, vaccination, and other treatment based on the exposure. Keep details about the animal, location, date, and type of contact if it is safe to do so.

Seek urgent medical advice for any bite or scratch from a mammal that may carry rabies, saliva contact with broken skin or mucous membranes, or contact with a bat when a bite cannot be excluded. Emergency symptoms such as confusion, difficulty swallowing, weakness, or breathing difficulty require immediate emergency care, but preventive treatment should begin before symptoms whenever exposure is possible.

Ask whether the contact counts as an exposure, what wound care is needed, whether vaccination is indicated, and how the animal's species and availability for observation affect the plan.