Rabies explained in English

A bite is the clearest risk, but a scratch or saliva on broken skin can also matter. Saliva in the eye, nose, or mouth needs assessment too. Rabies does not spread through ordinary conversation, sharing a room, or touching intact skin. Early symptoms may feel like a common illness; later symptoms can include unusual behaviour, trouble swallowing, weakness, or paralysis.

Wash the affected area immediately with soap and flowing water. Then contact urgent medical care and explain exactly what happened. A clinician will assess the animal and the type of contact, then decide whether post-exposure treatment is needed. Keep any details about the animal, location, and time of contact available, but do not delay care while trying to identify it.

Seek urgent advice for any possible bite or scratch from a mammal, particularly a bat or an animal that cannot be observed. Emergency symptoms include confusion, severe swallowing difficulty, new paralysis, or breathing trouble after a possible exposure. Preventive treatment is considered before symptoms, so waiting to feel unwell is unsafe.

Ask what kind of exposure occurred, whether you need vaccine or rabies antibodies, and what signs of wound infection should prompt another review.