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What are the symptoms of rabies? What animals usually get infected with rabies?
The rabies virus attacks the nervous system (brain Wild animals accounted for 92% of reported cases of
and spinal cord). The first symptoms of rabies are rabies in 2010. Raccoons continued to be the most
similar to a flu-like illnessfever, headache, and frequently reported rabid wildlife species (36.5% of
general discomfort. Within days, the disease can all animal cases during 2010), followed by skunks
progress to symptoms such as anxiety, confusion, (23.5%), bats (23.2%), foxes (7.0%), and other wild
agitation, abnormal behavior, delirium, and hallu- animals, including rodents and lagomorphs (such as
cinations. rabbits) (1.8%). Reported cases decreased among all
wild animals during 2010.
Once symptoms appear, the disease is almost always
fatal. Therefore, any person who has been bitten, While rabies is not commonly found in rabbits, squir-
scratched, or somehow exposed to the saliva of a rels, and rodents, any mammal can be infected by
potentially rabid animal should see a physician as rabies.
soon as possible for postexposure treatment.
On a camping trip we woke up to find a bat in our
How serious is rabies? tent. Should we have been concerned?
Rabies is an extremely painful and deadly disease. Yes. Because bats have small teeth and claws, it is
As mentioned above, if prompt and appropriate post- possible to be bitten by a bat and not know it. There-
exposure treatment is not received, the disease is fore, if you find you've been sleeping in the same
almost always fatal. Rabies occurs in more than 150 room with a bat you should see a doctor as soon as
countries and territories and each year rabies kills possible. This also applies if a bat is found in a room
more than 55,000 people around the world, mostly with a child or a mentally impaired or intoxicated
in Asia and Africa. person.
Deaths from rabies are rare in the United States be- The bat should be tested for rabies if possible. Call
cause of the wide availability of rabies vaccine and animal control or a wildlife conservation officer for
rabies immune globulin. help in capturing the bat if there is any question of
exposure.
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Technical content reviewed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4216.pdf Item #P4216 (8/13)
Immunization Action Coalition St. Paul, MN 55104 (651) 647-9009 www.vaccineinformation.org www.immunize.org
Page 2 of 4
What should I do if I find a bat in my house? How common is rabies in the United States?
If you're sure no family members or pets have pos- In 2010, 48 states and Puerto Rico reported 6,153
sibly been bitten by the bat, confine the bat to a room cases of rabies in animals and 2 human cases to CDC
and leave one window open for the bat to exit. If the (Hawaii is the only state that is rabies free). The
bat doesn't leave, call animal control for assistance total number of reported cases decreased by approxi-
or for advice in safely capturing the bat. Bats that mately 8.0% from those reported in 2009 (6,690
are the easiest to approach and capture (unable to rabid animals and 4 human cases).
fly, etc.) are the most likely to have rabies, so it is In the last 100 years, the number of human deaths
best to never handle any bat. from rabies in the United States has fallen from 100
or more per year to an average of 2 or 3 per year.
I've been bitten by a raccoonwhat should I do?
This decline is due to both the improved control and
If you've been bitten or scratched by any animal,
vaccination of domestic animals and to the develop-
you should
ment of effective postexposure treatment and vac-
1. Clean the area immediately with soap and water cines. Although human deaths from rabies are now
for at least 5 minutes. rare in the United States, approximately 16,000 to
2. See a health professional as soon as possible, 39,000 people come in contact with potentially ra-
ideally within 2448 hours bid animals and receive postexposure prophylaxis
3. Notify your state or local health department each year.
Immunization Action Coalition St. Paul, MN 55104 (651) 647-9009 www.vaccineinformation.org www.immunize.org
Page 3 of 4
Never touch or approach unfamiliar animals, do- as soon as possible after the exposure. Additional
mestic or wild. Don't touch dead animals. Teach doses should be given on days three, seven, and 14
your children the same. after the first shot. These shots should be given in
Seal openings into your home (basement, porch, the deltoid muscle of the arm. Children can also re-
attic, and chimney openings) to prevent wild ani- ceive the shots in the muscle of the thigh. Properly
mals from gaining entrance. administered postexposure treatment for rabies has
never been known to fail.
If you do get bitten by an animal, wash the wound
with soap and water for at least five minutes and The rabies vaccine is recommended for me because
then seek medical care. I'm an animal control officer. How does being treated
after an exposure differ from getting vaccinated
What kind of vaccine is the rabies vaccine? before an exposure?
Although the two brands of vaccine available in the Treatment after an exposure in a previously unvac-
U.S. are prepared in different ways, both of them are cinated person requires receiving a dose of rabies
made from inactivated, or killed, virus. Both types immune globulin and four (or five if the persons
are considered equally safe and effective. The vac- immune system is suppressed) doses of vaccine. Vac-
cine is given in the deltoid muscle as a series of 35 cination before exposure requires only three doses
shots. of vaccine and no immune globulin. Booster doses
of vaccine are recommended for some persons at
Who should get this vaccine? high risk of rabies exposure. Check with your health
Rabies vaccine is recommended for department.
Persons in high-risk occupational groups, such as
veterinarians and their staff, animal handlers, ra- Is an immunized person totally protected if bitten by
a rabid animal?
bies researchers, and certain laboratory workers
No. If bitten, a vaccinated person should receive two
Persons whose activities bring them in frequent more doses of rabies vaccine; one dose immediately
contact with rabies virus or potentially rabid bats, and one three days later.
raccoons, skunks, cats, dogs, or other species at
risk for having rabies What's the advantage of being immunized against
rabies if you still have to receive additional doses of
International travelers who are likely to come in vaccine if you're exposed?
contact with animals in areas where dog rabies is Being vaccinated simplifies treatment by eliminating
common, especially if they will have limited access the need for rabies immune globulin and decreasing
to appropriate medical care the number of doses of vaccine needed after an expo-
sure. This is important because many people at high
Can the vaccine protect you if you've already been
exposed to rabies?
risk may be working in areas where they may not be
Yes. The vaccine is only routinely recommended for able to get immediate medical attention, or where
persons in groups at high-risk of exposure. Vacci- immunizing products are not readily available.
nating the entire population against a rare disease Being vaccinated might also provide protection
they are unlikely to ever encounter isn't practical, yet against unknown exposures to rabies (e.g., from a
anyone could have an unexpected encounter with a bat bite).
bat or other potentially infected animal. Fortunately, Should I be concerned about rabies if I'm traveling
because rabies usually has a long incubation period, outside the United States?
the body has time to respond and develop antibodies Yes. Rabies is a big problem in many other countries,
to a vaccine given after an exposure. especially in Asia and Africa. Not only is dog rabies
common there, but postexposure treatment for hu-
What does the postexposure treatment include? mans may be hard to obtain. If you are traveling to
An exposed person who has never received any a country where rabies is common, you should talk
rabies vaccine will first receive a dose of rabies im- to your health care provider about the possibility of
mune globulin (a blood product that contains anti- being protected against rabies before your trip. Vac-
bodies against rabies), which gives immediate, short- cination may be recommended depending on your
term protection. This shot should be given in or near planned activities and length of stay. Contact with all
the wound area. They should also be given a series animals, including dogs and cats, should be avoided
of rabies vaccinations. The first dose should be given when traveling abroad.
Immunization Action Coalition St. Paul, MN 55104 (651) 647-9009 www.vaccineinformation.org www.immunize.org
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Can a pregnant woman receive rabies vaccine if ness and redness at the injection site. Moderate prob-
exposed to rabies? lems, including hives, pain in the joints, and fever,
Ye s . N o f e t a l a b n o r m a l i t i e s h a v e b e e n are possible in a small percentage of patients (6%)
reported with the rabies vaccine. She can even given booster doses.
receive routine pre-exposure vaccination against
rabies if her risk of exposure is high. Who should NOT receive the rabies vaccine?
The rabies vaccine is not recommended for routine
Who recommends this vaccine? use in the general population. Anyone for whom the
The federal Advisory Committee on Immunization vaccine is recommended should not receive a dose
Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control when they are moderately or severely ill.
and Prevention (CDC) formulate the recommenda-
tions for this vaccine. Can the vaccine cause rabies?
No.
What side effects have been reported with this
vaccine?
Most reactions to this vaccine are mild, such as sore-
Immunization Action Coalition St. Paul, MN 55104 (651) 647-9009 www.vaccineinformation.org www.immunize.org