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Q. How to know if I am affected by rabies?

Answered by
Dr. Sudheer Ambekar
and medically reviewed by iCliniq medical review team.
This is a premium question & answer published on Nov 06, 2016 and last reviewed on: Oct 15, 2020

Hi doctor,

I was injured by a bone of a dead dog. The injury is on my right knee. I cleaned the wound with soap water and this happened a month ago. I am facing some problems like flu, body pain and headache for the last four days. How to know if I am affected by rabies? What are the tests needed to confirm rabies virus is in my body? Also, can I take post-exposure treatment at this stage? What are the good antirabies available?

#

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

  • The indication for post-exposure vaccination with or without rabies immunoglobulin depends on the type of contact with the rabid animal.
  • Types of contact are of three categories:
  1. Category I – Touching or feeding the animals and licks on the skin.
  2. Category II - Nibbling of uncovered skin, minor scratches or abrasions without bleeding and licks on broken skin.
  3. Category III – Single or multiple transdermal bites or scratches, contamination of mucous membrane with saliva from licks and exposure to bat bites or scratches.
  • In your case, if the dog was rabid or you do not know the vaccination status of the dog, then you should get post-exposure prophylaxis. You probably fall into category 2.
  • Your vaccination schedule should be one dose of the vaccine should be administered on days 0, 3, 7, 14 and 30. All intramuscular injections must be given in the deltoid region.

For further information consult a neurologist online --> https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/neurologist

Thank you doctor,

It is already 30 days since I injured. So, it is uncommon like others who are injured and take treatment immediately. Is there any blood or urine test to confirm if I am infected with rabies? I found several antirabies vaccines available. Which one is the best? Can rabies vaccine cause any symptom later?

#

Hi,

Welcome back to icliniq.com.

  • Since it has been one month of injury, it is unlikely that you have contracted rabies.
  • However, rabies is known to manifest later in life too. So, it is advisable to take vaccination.
  • There is no test that will clearly establish if you have rabies or not. The human diploid cell vaccine is preferable.

For further information consult a neurologist online --> https://www.icliniq.com/ask-a-doctor-online/neurologist

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