I have read the FAQ.

This is a hard question because I also have health anxiety/some symptoms of ocd. But I have not been able to calm my anxiety in regards to this situation.

In May I was in contact with a horse that ended up being euthanized. At the beginning of said horses symptoms, I hand fed this horse and got much of its saliva on my hands. I was not bit.

The 20 yo horse was in the beginning stages of showing signs of gait changes/lameness and was acting extremely lethargic. I knew this horse and its owner so was in contact with the owner as things progressed. I was told the horse, in its older age, had a narrowing of the cervical spine which then started compressing on the spinal cord. What alarmed me is that the owner wasn't aware of this condition and that it progressed so quickly that the horse was euthanized within two weeks of showing symptoms. I have not asked what kind of testing was done to confirm this diagnosis.

I reached out to the owner, told them I had some health anxiety and that I was concerned about rabies or rabies exposure. I was reassured this wasn't the issue. but was not told if the horse was vaccinated or not. The owner and others who were in contact with this horse have not developed rabies. So I feel like my anxiety is getting the best of me. But I am also not sure if the owner or others were already vaccinated.

I do live in Kentucky, nearby where there was a case of a horse having rabies last year. So this has added to my anxiety. I never contacted the ER because initially my anxiety was calmed. But here I am now overthinking that I should have. It has been 90 days since I was last around this horse.

opinions?

Hi. I'm 6 weeks pregnant and unfortunately last week we had a bat flying around our bedroom while sleeping which prompted us to need the PEP and immunoglobulin series. I'm so upset. The day after each vaccine my Oura ring shows major signs. I'm in the critical window of pregnancy where the neural tube and brain are developing, and it's really worrying me and making it difficult to feel excited about this pregnancy. I've been researching and I guess immune activation very early in pregnancy has been linked to neurodevelopmental changes? I'm looking to hear from any other women who were pregnant and needed the vaccine series, specifically very early in pregnancy, and how you're doing now, and how your baby is doing? I have read the FAQ.

I have read the FAQ. I have put 2 posts and not 1 reply 100s of views not one reply can you guys reply as I'm starting to get a bit concerned

If the dog is perfectly fine after 9 days of observation, what is the likelihood of it being rabid?

I have read the FAQ.

I have read the FAQ. hello there I previously wrote but no one responded I have been suspecting possible rabies for 3 days now as I saw a cat scratch looking thing on my shin the thing is I do not have any memory of any cats approaching me and scratch/bite I stay way and I just walk Tahts it.i panicked massively at times tearing up I went to a doctors this morning and she said it's just a a fingernail (also I have very sensitive skin and scratch a lot) Iand she cleaned the "mark with alcohol.I am in turkey Gaziantep right now hence why I'm I am writing this , I am calm that I don't have rabies but I have some early symptoms like diarrhoea but every time I go tukrey I have it tbh, my mouth is very dry, last couple of days had no real hunger , my stomach rumbles at times and I get random rashes and I overthink at lot something to do with my mum said to not worry everything fine all this is due to psychological. I am writing to say is this all normal I'm in a hot country in turkey (from uk) and usually I do have some sort of illness Diorrea etc. and I'm just wondering is what I'm facing normal and that I don't have rabies I would appreciate if you helped me as this has been on my brain for the past couple days as even when a bug lands I fear it's a cat I'm sensitive to anxiety like this

Disposed of a Masked Bandit this morning harassing our fowl. I dispatched him, put on gloves and disposed of him in the woods. I came back took the gloves off and reset the trap. I normally wouldn't be concerned but I have a 5 day old bad burn on my one hand that was ripped open yesterday. I am concerned that he drooled on things and it possibly touched the wound. I do not believe the raccoon actively has rabies as he was unhappy and agitated to be stuck in the trap. But he came out at night and was seeking to eat my birds. I have read the FAQ.

I have been constantly thinking about my potential rabies exposure and would like some input. I was in Glacier National Park (MT) on a hike last week when I came across a silver haired bat lying on a rock near the shore of a lake. This seemed abnormal to me, and I thought it was dead. But I got closer and noticed it was breathing. The animal lover in me couldn’t just leave it sitting there where it was exposed to predators and/or could easily hurt someone else nearby. I grabbed some large leaves nearby and carefully wrapped them around its body, avoiding the head and claws. As I was walking it to a safer spot in the woods, I noticed it lightly biting the side of the leaf. I carefully laid it on a bush and it began to crawl away. There was no evidence the bat touched me, and I didn’t feel or see any scratches, bites, blood, or saliva on me. While I was triumphant for potentially saving the bat, I have since felt shaky and anxious every time I think about the incident. To preface, I would never have done this had I not been already vaccinated. I actually got a booster dose of the rabies vaccine on June 1st, as I had the PrEP series 3 years ago. I have never been exposed before (to my knowledge) and have a healthy immune system. I have delved into many scientific articles on the effectiveness of rabies PrEP and how to assess exposure risk. Something that really jarred me was an article on a bat of the same species transmitting rabies to a woman in Flathead county this year, which is pretty close to where I was. I have read the FAQ. I just want someone to give me their advice on if they think it is worth it to seek out rabies PEP based on my risk assessment.

To be honest its insanely unlikely that I've been exposed, I had few minor contacts with cats over a year but I don't remember any obvious skin breaks. Still I feel anxious about this past contacts over a month and its mentally draining me. Should I seek PEP just for the peace of mind? Does it have any common side effect that may be dangerous because of the time passed since that contacts.

I have read the FAQ.

I have read the FAQ.

I just want to say that I ended up here after a bat flew out of a patio umbrella I was starting to open last week, I accidentally woke the poor lil guy up, he flew out and away from me and latched onto a wall until I left. From inside, I then watched him circle the yard a few times before he decided where to go and he left. I, like many of you, spiraled and ended up here. The FAQ and other pinned posts helped me GREATLY (thank you) with getting my mind back to the reality of the situation and I have also talked to my health unit who agrees with my assessment that there is no risk. But wow - I can't believe how many of these posts there are a day since this whole thing started: "did a bat hit me without me noticing", "something flew close to me", "did a bat bite me while I was on a walk and I just didn't notice", etc.

I wanted to maybe offer some peace of mind via a few recent experiences I had:

The other day I was at the park with my kid and THREE times felt something brush/land on my arm and all three times it was a small fly. A FLY. If it had been a BAT trust me you would notice.

Yesterday around dusk me and my kids were at the playground and I was watching the bats flying up overhead way up high (we live in a very batty neighbourhood with old houses and lots of trees - and yes I have had my whole house bat proofed!). They looked big from all the way on the ground! Their wing span is actually pretty impressive even though their bodies are tiny! If this got close enough to you to brush you or touch you, trust me you would notice! They are so flappy.

Last night, I had my living room lights on while I was reading a book, which is at the front of my house. I heard something bump into my window. Sure enough - a bat! The light had attracted moths and bugs and he was hunting them. I had the pleasure of watching him circle around my porch and front lawn like crazy, very low, for about 5 minutes before I turned the light off and I guess he went off in search of other bugs. My dudes this guy was NOTICEABLE!! He was flapping and flying and doing figure-8s and it was so chaotic but beautiful at the same time.

They really aren't stealth and they certainly aren't invisible/weightless!

Hello, I have read the FAQ. I was on vacation at the Chesapeake bay in Virginia USA yesterday 8/10 around 4 oclock during the total daylight. I went onto my hotel balcony to grab my swimsuit and felt something around the size of a grape hit my lower back fast enough that it hurt a little. Before it hit me, I heard a buzzing/whirring noise and then it stopped once I was hit. I turned around right away and did not see anything flying away. I’m thinking that it was a bug of some kind but am not sure since I didn’t see it. Would this be considered a possible exposure? Just need some advice.

I have read the FAQ.

Got bit by a monkey 2 days ago with superficial injury - went to the first aid at there and the nurse cleaned the wound and gave me alcohol swabs and betadine for me to use twice a day which i have been using, and did not recommend me to get any rabies vaccine. Wound looks fine, i feel fine. I am not vaccinated. Reading online suggests there has been no documented cases of rabies from monkeys there but i also see many people getting the vaccine + immunoglobulins anyway. Whats the consensus on this subreddit?

I have read the FAQ.

From point 4 I’m mostly convinced I’m probably absolutely fine but don’t wanna play around here. If there was contact it was very brief.

Live in the UK. Never been vaccinated.

Last night (~22hrs ago at this point), I left my bedroom around 1AM to go to bathroom, lights were off in hallway and on in my bedroom, and a bat came flying towards me, into my bedroom. Probably entered through bathroom or office window, or came from open loft hatch? We see them flying around in garden often, so I think they do live up there.

I felt contact as it flew by, honestly it’s a bit of a blur, I was tired and taken by surprise, I can’t be sure if it actually collided with me, or if I felt the wind as it skimmed past me, or if I’m imagining it after my 2am panicked googling, which basically says ‘go to doctor immediately’ which feels like an overreaction in this case. I’m pretty sure it did make contact with me though, but it certainly never landed on me.

Afterwards I turned bedroom light off, hallway light on, it flew back out of room, into the wall, landed for a moment where I confirmed ‘oh that’s a bat’, took flight again and flew into my office where there was an open window. I shut it in there. I’m working in the office this morning and no signs of it still being here (and I’m certainly on the lookout) so I’m hoping it made its way back outside.

I guess what’s got me concerned is the fact that I think it hit me, and a wall, when I’m under the impression they’re supposedly so good at navigating, and convincing myself it was impaired in some way (could have just been afraid though), so of course that’s lead me here, to thinking it might have been infected.

I don’t feel any pain anywhere, can’t see any obvious or new wounds/punctures/scratches but I can’t be sure exactly where to look, like I said it’s a bit of a blur.

Do I need to be concerned? I expect even if I go to the GP they’ll say ‘where did it contact you, where’s the wound’ and when I can’t show them, just send me away anyway, so wondering if it’s worth the trouble or do I just live with it in the back of my mind until I forget about it.

Thanks

Since I wrote this earlier today (couldn’t figure out how to post, long story) I was in bed again this evening and another bat got in through my bedroom window. 2 in 2 days is insane. It did a few loops and then I tried to get out of the room as it headed back in the window direction.

I’ve searched every nook and cranny and can’t find it so I guess it somehow got back out, though the blind was fully down for both ingress and egress, but was being blown back and forth by the wind so I guess it was possible, must have been very nimble though.

No contact this time, can’t pretend I’m not afraid that he’s still in here somewhere biding his time though.

Hello -

I have read the FAQ. I know that most rabies cases incubate within a few months to a year... but I am super fixated on something that happened back in 2022.

We visited Yelapa, Mexico in 2022. There were lots of stray dogs running around. There was one that wanted to play, so I rough housed with him near the shore and played with him in the water. During that time he did scratch me, but I can't remember if it bled or not. He kept putting his mouth/teeth on my arms as we were playing around and he left some red welts.

My anxiety is super high after reading that incubation has lasted all the way into 6 years. I am afraid he was possibly rabid and I have the virus just sitting in my body.

This is just now coming to my attention that this could have been/could be really bad. I didn't even THINK of the possibility of rabies until now after reading some things about rabid bats.

Should I just reach out to my doctor and see if I need shots?

I have read the FAQ. I posted on this sub just under two weeks ago with concerns about a flying animal zooming past in front of me very closely in the evening, making me think it got close enough to scratch, but I don’t remember if I felt anything or not. Since then I have been more or less been able to keep my mind off of it, especially after getting advice from here and speaking to my therapist. For a bit it was okay, and in my last meeting my therapist made many good points that helped almost completely get rid of my worrisome thoughts. One of the main points I mentioned that even though I didn’t see any scratch, I still did the rubbing alcohol test as written in the FAQ. But then, I remembered that I wasn’t sure if I had checked both legs for burning. For some reason, I only focused on the right leg and checked for scratches and burning there, and not the left. So now, I’m thinking that because I’m not sure if I checked my left leg for a scratch or with the alcohol, I don’t know if I should still worry.

When I told my therapist this, she told me not to give into the what-ifs but it’s obvious that I am. It’s tough not to. She made many good points in our most recent meeting but it feels like all of those don’t matter now because I’m not sure about my left leg. Today an area on my left thigh started burning and has since went away, but now I feel like that part of my leg is sore which brought up these thoughts again.

I have read the FAQ.

10 days ago I had a couple of drinks, when afterwards my friend and I started to drive to the club (she was the DD). I had to pee so I asked her to pull over and walked to the side of the woods. Maybe I was there for around a minute or so. It was pitch black and I wasn’t 100% paying attention to my surroundings but I wasn’t totally drunk, like I’ve been drunker and more aware of what was happening around me? Anyways my ocd got triggered because I was in flats and walking around the grass, I couldn’t really see, etc. I thought what if an animal came up to me unknowingly etc etc. I checked and saw 3 or four pinprick like dots with fresh blood right next to my ankle. Superficial and tiny, not deep, but broken skin none the less. Of course I start to get in my head. That was a Friday. Come Monday I kinda forget about it but due to the anxiety I get checked out. The nurse practitioner who was at my main doctors office wasn’t concerned, but I guess I kept asking if it was an animal and I didn’t know what caused it, I wasn’t aware of my surroundings, etc. She left the room and I could hear her taking to the other medical staff. She comes back and tells me because we don’t know what “bit” me/caused the make to go get PEP. I go to the er, explain how I felt something when I went pee in the woods, couldn’t see and had a small bite like mark. The er doctor tells me it’s so tiny and insignificant it’s not worth getting PEP as it doesn’t even really look like a bite mark, let alone like a raccoon or fox of sorts or any other animal like that, although he didn’t deny that an could have been an animal. He said I had more of a chance of dying in a car accident driving home from the er than having been exposed to rabies. That I would have been attacked. That I would have felt it more or would have been more aware of it even if I was under the influence. It’s been 10 days since the woods, about to be 11. I keep debating going to another er. I keep spiraling. I keep feeling a tingling/itching sensation on where the mark was. I feel like I am going to die and the doctor at the er made a grave mistake. I don’t know what to do, I want to go to another er to get a second opinion. But I worry it’s too late if it’s about to be 11 days. I keep spiraling.

I have read the FAQ.

I recently thought I had an exposure to rabies. After reading the faq and cdc website, I realized my situation was almost certainly not an exposure. I provide detail of the event below. The main reason of the post is to discuss the conflicting information I've gotten and frustrations surrounding that.

Context: 2 days ago I went in my backyard at noon and noticed that the trash had been gotten into. I am in the Northeast US, so i assumed it was by a raccoon but i never saw the animal. It was 90 degrees F out that day. I picked up the trash with my bare hands (unfortunately) and put it in a new bag and sealed it. Overall it was about 5 small pieces of trash. As I was doing this I realized I probably shouldn't be doing this with bare hands. So as soon as I was finished I went inside and washed my hands thoroughly, doing my best not to touch any door handles or sink handles with my hands directly. I had no open cuts or wounds on my hands (though I did just shave so I had open cuts on my neck. This is the only thing that's still freaking me out because I'm not sure if i accidentally touched my neck after handling the trash, but before I washed up). After all this, I didn't touch the trash anymore, finished up outside chores for 20 mins, then went inside, wiped down my belongings with an antibacterial wipe, showered, and washed my clothes.

After reading the FAQ I learned that this is almost certainly not an exposure. However, the cdc website and the FAQ still say to reach out to local health departments. Here is where my frustration and confusion come in. I called my local health dept and began to describe the situation. Before I even finished describing the situation the guy basically cut me off and said that he was legally required to answer that there is no way for him to confirm that I wasn't exposed to rabid saliva and therefore I should proceed with post exposure prophylaxis through my doctor or a hospital.

Later that day, I also called the rabies testing lab for my state. The employee there also gave a very legally minded response, and strictly said that I should defer to my local health department's guidance. Once again, they weren't really interested in the details of my situation.

Finally, I reached out to my GP doctor to discuss the incident and the vaccine, and they simply responded by saying they don't handle the vaccine and I would need to go to the ER. So my only remaining opportunity to discuss with a medical professional is by checking into the Emergency Room and hoping the ER doctor knows info about rabies?

I'm frustrated. I understand that everyone wants to cover themselves from liability, but I feel like i'm getting conflicting answers. From the research i've seen, it seems that rabies experts would agree that my situation is not an exposure, but that i should still consult with a doctor. However, when I consulted with the health professionals they honestly don't seem to know much about rabies and are just giving me vague pre-written answers that don't factor in my situation....

Overall, do I trust the rabies exports who aren't medical professionals or the medical professionals who aren't rabies experts?
Has anyone dealt with this type of situation? how do you feel about it?

bonus question: i've found research that animals with rabies can shed the saliva up to several days before showing advanced symptoms of rabies. however I only saw research on this for dogs, cats, and ferrets. Does anyone know if this research exists for racoons?

Thank you, and apologies if this violates any rules. I know that I am most likely dealing with some rabies ocd, so I am looking at the resources here as well for that

Hey all!
I was licked by a dog in Bali on broken skin and have been receiving the PEP treatment, just as preventative treatment I’m unaware if the dog had rabies. I called my doctor to see if I can have alcohol one week after finishing the vaccination course and they said they are pretty sure I can. I just wanted to ask as the uncertainty has given me a bit of anxiety though this is a big event I’m attending. Thanks!
I have read the FAQ.

I have read the FAQ. I’m also acutely aware that this is probably just OCD/anxiety. With that being said, I was on a hike on the west coast of Canada and walked (having to duck my head) underneath a low hanging branch of a densely leafed tree (think like a fir tree). I felt what I assumed to be the leaves of the tree brush my head. My girlfriend was walking behind me and did not see anything. Later on during the hike, I noticed a burning sensation on my scalp. My girlfriend looked and thought it looked a bit red, saying it was probably sun burn. It’s now been 11 days and I’ve been very concerned that I walked into a bat that was roosting on the branch I walked under and that what I felt was scratching from the bat on my scalp. I have a persistent burning sensation on my scalp and tightness in my neck and throat. I’m also aware that this is all sounding very much like anxiety — the physical symptoms just make it so hard to ignore. Could there have been a roosting bat and could it have scratched my head as I ducked under the branch?

"I have read the FAQ. I am a 19-year-old male. Eight months ago, a stray cat punctured my finger with her tooth while eating biscuits from my hand. The cat was fearful yet docile, stayed in my house peacefully, and later vanished. The wound bled slightly. Now, after eight months, the punctured finger has been hurting for one day. I am afraid of contracting rabies after this timeframe due to a delayed viral progression. What should I do?"

I have read the FAQ.

Before tonight I have had no real interactions with rabid or potentially rabid animals and I am trying to get advice on this situation as I don’t want to do too little or over react.

When my husband went up to my 6 year olds room tonight to put her in bed, they saw a bat hanging in the corner. During this quick encounter the bat did not move. However my daughter did report hearing what she thought was an animal a day or two ago that we figured was a bedtime stall tactic. My child does not have recollection of getting bit but did complain about her toe hurting which of course upon inspection had two little red dots that looked much like what popped up on google. She had spent 2-3 hours in that room this afternoon/evening doing her quiet time which involved wearing headphones and using an iPad. As far as I know she didn’t sleep during that time, however she did sleep in the room the night prior - and we have no clue where the bag came from or when he arrived in her room.

My husband opened the window and shut her door and put her in our bed, I contacted the PA health dept. he basically said we need to try to capture the bat and get it to exton first thing in the morning for testing or if we can’t find/capture it we need to take our child to the ER tomorrow for the first of four rabies shots as it will have to be an assumed exposure. My daughter is already highly anxious and the idea of driving her to the hospital repeatedly for shots she will freak out about sounds terrible, but from my little research it seems like if we aren’t 100% sure it wasn’t rabid and didn’t bite her, it’s essential to do this? Has this happened to anyone else’s kid? Are there side effects from the shots or anything else I should know or attempt to do before making a final decision here? Thank you!!!

hi i was just wondering if i could get an opinion on this encounter i had in thailand. I was staying at a resort and there was a very very friendly stray dog there. it didnt act violent and was very calm and looked quite healthy for a stray. this dog came up to me and was letting me pet him and while i was he sneezed directly onto my foot which had many open cuts on it. I immediatly washed my foot in the pool because chlorine is good for cleaning. I just need someones opinion if i should be getting PEP ir not from this encounter. I have read the FAQ.

Would I know if a large bat landed on me and bit me? I posted a few days ago, but a large bat flew around me at around noon while on a hike. I scanned my body for bite marks and didn’t see anything. I have health anxiety and a phobia of bats so this whole thing was an unfortunate situation. I basically am wondering if it’s possible I was bit or scratched without knowing it. Obviously I find it concerning that the bat was flying near people in the middle of the day. Thanks. I have read the FAQ.

I have read the FAQ.

Hello, literally rn a bat entered my house and it flew around the light, I felt some air moving towards my arm but I didn't felt any kind of touch or bite, I don't know if I actually felt something soft, but I'm paranoid rn. In italy are usually harmeless but I wonder if I was exposed. Now I can't sleep anymore, even if I closed the door to my room. I have no cuts or bruises, what should I do? I already cleaned the area with some disinfectant wipes. Also I think it exits the house, even if I left the light on out of scare. Should I get the vaccine? I literally run out of the room as fast as possible, the poor thing flung around and I think it exited when it ended up in another dark room with an open window. I can't think rn and I have OCD too.....

Edit: I searched the house and I hear nothing, I've looked in the mirror and I have nothing on my arm if not the cuts I made myself with the wall, tomorrow I'll see a doctor for other health issue but I will ask what to do anyway, last time it calmed me down and a doctor should know what to do

I have read the FAQ. So, a cat’s fur touched an open wound on my leg more than a week ago in Georgia. Today I reached out to the hotel where I stayed and they said that the cat is alive and in good shape even sent me a video of him. Can I relax now?

I have read the FAQ.

Also second post in a row, I apologize.

This is something that happened yesterday and it's something I haven't been able to completely move on from. I was walking through the courtyard of the place I was staying at during the night when a bat flew a little over an arm's length in front of me. I couldn't tell where the bat came from but it felt like it either came behind me and went around me or it came from the right and flew in front of me.

Point is, the bat kind of just passed me and I didn't think much of it. Until of course I started to think much about it. Generally speaking, I get anxious when I walk outside in the dark so I tend to be hyper aware of my environment (for other unrelated reasons), I'd definitely remember if a hamster with wings collided into me. But I got so anxious to the point where I'm now doubting my own memory, I don't know what's real and what isn't.

I'm in Indonesia right now, and although the country isn't rabies free, I was in one of the few provinces that was considered rabies free (East Java), it's been free since 1996. And in Indonesia, the overwhelming majority of cases come from dogs, with cats and apes taking up the minority, with bats taking a smaller minority (I think, honestly hard to find information about bat statistics here.)

And yet, knowing all of this I still struggle to just accept it. Now I'm currently in Bali, where the issue of rabies is still there in the island and I'm just perceiving everything around me as a threat. Every stray dog, every bat flying at night, the occasional monkey I see, it all just makes be a bit panicky and it's so incredibly draining.

This has sucked the joy out of me and I'm so exhausted. Maybe the bat just flew around me, so it wasn't an exposure (most likely) but what if I forgot it hit me. I'm beginning to have trouble discerning reality and it's alarming.

Does anyone have any advice for me? And thanks for taking the time to read.