When do I need to get a rabies vaccine?

The CDC has warned that, compared to last year, more people across the country may have been exposed to rabies, and more are getting treatment to prevent the disease. When should someone get a rabies vaccine?

• Rabies spreads through infected animal saliva and is almost always deadly once symptoms begin.
• Quick treatment with rabies vaccines and other medicines is needed to prevent the disease after exposure.
• If you may have been bitten or scratched, especially by a bat, seek medical advice right away.

Rabies is a virus that attacks the brain and nervous system. It affects mammals and is almost always deadly once symptoms begin. The virus spreads through the saliva of an infected animal. It can enter the body through a bite, a scratch, broken skin, or the eyes, nose, or mouth. Bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes are common carriers, but almost any mammal can get rabies.

Rabies can be prevented after an exposure, but you must act quickly. Treatment includes a series of rabies vaccines and, in some cases, a medicine called rabies immune globulin. The virus slowly travels through the nerves toward the brain. Once it reaches the brain and symptoms begin, treatment is usually too late. This can take weeks, months, or even a year. The timing depends on factors such as where the bite happened and how much virus entered the body.

It is not always easy to know whether you were exposed. If a wild animal bites or scratches you and cannot be safely captured, contact a healthcare provider or local public health department right away. The same is true if a pet bites you and there is no proof that it received a rabies vaccine. An animal may need to be watched or tested for rabies. Testing usually requires examining the animal’s brain after it has died.

Bat bites can be very small and hard to see. And they don’t usually turn you into a vampire. If you wake up in a room with a bat or cannot rule out direct contact, ask a healthcare provider or public health official what to do. If you may have been exposed to rabies, do not wait for symptoms. Get medical advice as soon as possible.

Also, vaccinate your pets.