I have a question...
I've been bitten by a dog that might be rabid - what do I do?
Is post-exposure prophylaxis necessary if bitten by a monkey?
How often are routine boosters needed after pre-exposure immunisation?
Will dog vaccination be effective in controlling rabies if there are wildlife species in an area?
How do I find out more about rabies?
What if my question is not answered here?
Where am I at risk of rabies exposure?
For information on rabies risks, please see the About Rabies pages.
For travel advice on specific countries, see the World Health Organization, the United States Centers for Disease Control, or the United Kingdom Health Protection Agency.
Is rabies fatal?
Yes, rabies has the highest case fatality rate of any infectious disease known to man. Both Pre-exposure (PreP) and post- exposure prophylaxis (PEP) are, if appropriately administered, almost always effective in preventing rabies.
PreP is administered to those persons considered to be at risk of exposure due to their vocational or where they live.
PEP is administered after an exposure occurs in order to prevent the development of rabies.
Once the clinical onset of rabies is evident, there is no cure available and death is inevitable. It is therefore extremely important to get prompt medical treatment.
GARC aims to improve educational awareness of how to prevent rabies, and also aims to increase access to PreP and PEP for humans at risk of rabies infection.
I've been bitten by a dog that might be rabid - what do I do?
Firstly, apply first aid, as below. Then you MUST seek medical advice as soon as possible.
The World Health Organization recommends that after a dog bite occurs, the proper course of action to prevent rabies includes: "immediate vigorous washing and flushing of the wound with soap and water, detergent or water alone for at least 10 minutes (this procedure is recommended for all bite wounds, including those unrelated to possible exposure to rabies).
Then apply either ethanol (700 ml/L) or tincture or aqueous solution of iodine or povidone iodine." This will help to prevent secondary infections, but you MUST then seek appropriate medical advice for possible Post-Exposure Prophylaxis for rabies.
Is post-exposure prophylaxis necessary if bitten by a monkey?
If the monkey bite occurred in a rabies endemic area, the monkey should be tested by a reliable rabies diagnostic laboratory to determine if the animal was infected with rabies.
If this is not possible, the bitten person should seek medical advice and undergo post-exposure prophylaxis according to the current WHO recommendations.
How often are routine boosters needed after pre-exposure immunisation?
The recommended booster schedule depends upon the potential risk of exposure.
Persons at high risk of exposure, (rabies laboratory workers etc.) should have a blood test to evaluate the presence of rabies neutralizing antibodies. The time interval between blood tests is determined by the degree of risk.
Directors of rabies laboratories should have specific requirements in place to monitor the presence of rabies neutralizing antibodies in the workers.
In the event that the serological titre of someone working in a rabies laboratory falls below 0.5 IU/mL, they should receive one routine booster injection.
Others that have received rabies cell cultrure vaccine previously and are at low risk of exposure, do not need a routine booster. If they are exposed to a suspected or proven rabid animal, they should receive two booster doses of vaccine (day 0 and day 3) without the administration of rabies immune globulin.
Is dog vaccination effective in controlling rabies if there are wildlife species in an area?
In Asia and Africa (with the exception of some areas in southern Africa), the domestic dog is the main 'reservoir' for rabies.
Usually, there is only one reservoir population of rabies in any given area, and controlling the disease in this population results in its disappearance from all other species.
This has been shown with the elimination of rabies following oral vaccination of foxes in western Europe, where red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are the reservoir host.
Results from research projects in eastern Africa prove that mass vaccination of domestic dogs have the same result, even in areas (such as the Serengeti ecosystem) which comprise a wide diversity of wildlife species.
When a sufficient percentage of the domestic dog population is vaccinated, rabies also declines in wildlife species and human exposures to the rabies virus are significantly reduced.
How do I find out more about rabies?
For basic information see the About Rabies page.
For teaching materials see the Resources page.
For scientific papers and review see the Resources page.
For travel advice and global rabies data see the Other Links page.
What if my question is not answered here?
If you have any further questions, please get in touch - see Contact Us.
GARC does not currently deliver travel medicine advice to the general public. Please see our Links page for information on where to get appropriate advice.
