Prevention of rabies in humans

Rabies can be transmitted when saliva from an infected mammal reaches broken skin or the eyes, mouth or nose. Bites are the clearest risk, but scratches or saliva contacting a wound can also require assessment. Do not handle sick, injured or unfamiliar animals, and teach children to ask before approaching pets. Keep domestic animals vaccinated according to local veterinary advice and avoid touching wildlife or stray animals.

A person may look well immediately after an exposure, so waiting for symptoms is unsafe. Post-exposure prophylaxis is designed to prevent infection after a possible exposure and should be assessed urgently.

Move away from the animal safely, then wash the wound thoroughly with running water and soap as soon as possible. Do not seal the wound with home remedies or delay care while trying to identify the animal. Contact urgent medical services and describe the animal, the contact, the wound location and the time it happened. A clinician will decide whether rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, wound treatment or observation of the animal is needed.

Seek urgent medical assessment after any bite or scratch from a mammal that is stray, wild, unavailable for observation or behaving unusually. Get advice even when the wound is small or the skin mark is hard to see. Go immediately for injuries to the face, hands or near the eyes, or if saliva entered a wound or mucous membrane. Do not wait for fever, tingling or difficulty swallowing.

Ask whether the contact counts as a rabies exposure, which wound care is needed, and whether rabies vaccination or post-exposure prophylaxis should start now.