rabies question

These past few weeks,here in our neighborhood,I think may dalawa o tatlo nang bata ang nakakagat ng galang aso,so when I saw this topic on whatsuppaws,I thought that this topic would be an eye opener about rabies,here,I copy-pasted the full question,the reply from paws,and a concern physician,I re-posted this for non-members,hope this would help. =) here it is:

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Hi guys!

I'm just kinda worried kasi just recently while i was playing with my cat,
she slightly bit my hand and nag sugat pero maliit lang. Parang
sing laki lng grain ng rice (almost half size of that) then suddenly
, masakit ulo koat nahihilo... pero iniisip ko naman baka sa
weather or sa medications na tine-take up ko ngayon... Pero lage
naman niya ako nakakalmot before and nothing happens but scared parin
ako sa sinasabi ng officemates ko na baka may rabies cat ko...
pa check-up ko daw....

Is it possible that my cat has rabies???
Home kitty lang siya. Hindi siya lumalabas ng house. Please reply. I'm a bit scared
but im giving myself 3 days for observation.

Any advice???

Thanks!

Carol Reyes

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and here's the reply from paws:

If the cat is still eating and drinking within the next
few days (2 weeks observation period), then most likely it
does not have rabies.


Rabid animals usually die within a few days from
when they start biting for no apparent reason. They refuse
to eat or drink, stay in dark places.


Facts about rabies: Even animals who stay at home
can get them from rats, stray animals who are able to make
contact with your pets somehow through your gate, etc. However, the
risk of contracting rabies for animals who stay at
home is much lower compared to animals allowed to stray.

It doesn't matter how big the wound or scratch is.
Transmission is saliva through blood stream. Scratches and small bites
are enough to transmit the disease.

Cats and dogs ARE NOT born with rabies. Rabies is a disease
that is contracted from other infected animals. Death
is inevitable for animals already showing signs of rabies.


Depending on the location of the bite, you can still
observe a cat or dog that has bitten you before panicking and
getting a Post-Exposure Rabies Shot. If you have been bitten near
the head or in the neck area, you have to immediately get a shot since
time for observation may be equivalent to the time the virus travels
to your brain (in such a case, Rabies is untreatable).


As mentioned above, a rabid dog or cat will have a radical
change in behavior so putting the animal in a cage and observing it is
crucial. Give the usual food and water.  If the cat or dog that
bit you has disappeared / cannot be observed, get a shot immediately.

Percentage of cat rabies documented in the Philippines is less
than 10%. Ninety percent of rabies cases come from dogs.

Under the newly approved Rabies Act, all dog owners are
required to have their dogs vaccinated against rabies. Cats were not
included in the Act because of the small percentage of cat
rabies incidence.




             -The Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS)

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here'a an opinion from a concern physician:

Hi. I'd like to post my opinion as a physician on this topic.

Regarding
cat bites, the DOH and WHO classify wounds with skin breaks as category
2. Meaning, this would require post-exposure prophylaxis. The DOH goes
even further by including scratches from cats as requiring
post-exposure prophylaxis. It doesn't matter how large the wound is;
once there is a break in the skin, you'll need post-exposure
prophylaxis.


I think you should take your officemates' advise and have yourself checked at the nearest hospital.

In your case, I advise you to get the following, recommended within 24 hours after the exposure (bite/scratch):

1. Anti-rabies shot
2. Anti-tetanus shot
3. Tetanus toxoid vaccine

The schedule for the anti-rabies post-exposure prophylaxis is as follows (using the intramuscular or IM route):
1
injection at the deltoid (upper arm) on day 0 (the day you were
bitten), day 3 (3 days after the bite) and day 7. There are still
injections at days 14 and 28, but if the animal shows no sign of rabies
infection by day 14 or if the animal who bit you has anti-rabies shots
(this is given yearly; your pet should have yearly injections of
anti-rabies...you'd have to consult your vet for this), you won't need
these last 2 shots. However, it is also advised to complete the
anti-rabies post-exposure prophylaxis til day 28 as completion of this
would give you protection for up to 5 years.


If you were bitten/wounded at the head and neck area, go get
post-exposure prophylaxis ASAP. The rabies virus targets the brain, and
the closer the wound to the brain, the faster it could get there.

Signs and symptoms to watch out for in the 14-day observation period (both human and animal):

1. headache
2. increased salivation
3. aversion against light and water
4. change in sensorium (irritability, disorientation, inability to recognize people/places)

Should
the animal who bit you suddenly die, it's best to head to San Lazaro or
to RITM (Alabang) and get anti-bodies. It's better if you could bring
the dead animal with you because they could determine there by
examining its brain if it has rabies or not.


First aid for animal bites:
1. wash the wound with soap and water
2. do not apply tourniquet (you could lose a limb with wrongful tourniquet application)
3. apply pressure with a clean cloth or gauze to bleeding wounds

4. head to the nearest ER

I'll
have to warn you that this is costly. A shot of anti-rabies cost about
Php1500, and this is just for the medicine. You could also spend about
Php1000 for the anti-tetanus and tetanus toxoid. Plus ER/consultation
fees. For complete anti-rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, you could
spend about Php10,000. If money is a problem, you could go to San
Lazaro, PGH or RITM because there they offer the intra-dermal route
which is cheaper (financially, I don't know how much the difference is;
but I guarantee that the intramuscular and intradermal have the same
effectivity).


Pet owners should be aware of this because if their pet bites or
wounds other people, it is their responsibility to shoulder the
expenses. Responsible pet owners should not let their pets run around
free and without anti-rabies vaccines. It would save a lot of money and
emotional stress if pet owners would just get their pets vaccinated
yearly and observe proper behavior when they let their pets out. Also,
always document anti-rabies shots being given to pets; at the ER, I
(and most doctors) don't accept the owners' words that their pets have
been vaccinated; I need to see it documented by a vet or an animal
welfare employee. Loss of the documentation is not an excuse.


As a general rule, a person wounded by an animal (whether by bite or scratch) should seek medical consult ASAP.

--
Kat S. Tiongco, M.D.