Horse rabies: what to know after contact

A horse can expose a person if it is infected and its saliva enters a bite, scratch, open wound or the eyes, mouth or nose. Touching an intact coat or being near a horse is not the same as a saliva exposure. Do not wait for symptoms in the animal or in yourself before seeking advice. Once clinical symptoms develop, rabies is extremely serious, so decisions about prevention must be made promptly by a healthcare service.

Write down the time and place of contact, what happened, whether skin was broken, and whether saliva touched a wound or mucous membrane. If safe, note the horse's owner and location, but do not delay care to gather details.

Wash and flush a bite, scratch or contaminated wound thoroughly with soap and running water as soon as possible. Do not tightly cover an uncleaned wound, cauterise it or apply irritating chemicals. Avoid handling the horse again and do not attempt to catch or examine an unfamiliar animal.

Contact emergency medical services or an urgent clinic immediately for an exposure assessment. The clinician may discuss Rabies Post-Exposure Prophylaxis, which can include wound care, vaccination and other treatment depending on the exposure. A previous Rabies Vaccination history matters, so take those records if available.

Seek urgent medical care now after any suspected bite or scratch, or when saliva from a possibly infected horse reached broken skin, the eyes, mouth or nose. This remains urgent even if the wound looks small, has stopped bleeding, or the contact happened earlier. Call emergency services if the wound is heavily bleeding, involves the face or eye, or you feel faint. Do not wait for fever, tingling or difficulty swallowing.

Did this contact count as a rabies exposure? What wound care and preventive treatment do I need? Does my vaccination history change the plan? How should the horse and its owner be reported or assessed, and when should I return for follow-up?