Rabies treatment

What's the procedure for someone who gets bitten by a wild animal and goes to the hospital for it to be checked/ And what if he does have it? What then?

If they don't know if the animal that bit them was rabid or not they're going to treat you for it unless they know for certain that it's not.

The treatment is a series of shots over a period of time. It's not as lucky as one shot and you're done. You have to get several, and it's not going to be over with in one day.

Okay, so if a person gets bit they have to be treated before the serious symptoms start. Best case: they're treated within 2 hours. Risky / Borderline: 48 hours.

After the initial treatment they're treated again the third, seventh, and fourteenth day after the incident. So full treatment takes in the least 2 weeks. If it didn't break skin wash the wound, and sanitize, but still go to the hospital.

Symptoms start easy enough.

Anxiety, stress, tension; Delirium; Drooling; Convulsions (Restraints will be used); Leads to worse things like Hallucinations; Loss of feeling to parts of body; Loss of Muscle Function; Fever; Spasms; Numbness; Pain at bite site; Insomnia; inability to swallow; and can eventually lead to coma and death. No, Humans don't froth at the mouth.

Would a human want to bite another human so that the other human would get it also?
And what if a dog( or any creature ) had rabies for such a long time (How long before they start foaming at the mouth?) and they bit a human. Would th human who got bitten then catch rabies sooner?
Thanks for any help you can give and the previous help you have given. I appreciate it.

Google is your friend...

You could start with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies

Gradually, and in the general order that I listed them.

Keep in mind there are places in the world where they are Rabies free.

Umm... I haven't heard anything about people trying to bite other people. Rabies doesn't create Zombies.

In stage two of a dog having it is when they bite anything nearby. It can take up to six months for a dog to even start showing the signs, but just because they aren’t showing the signs doesn’t mean they aren’t contagious. But after that stage they reach the paralysis stage, and I don’t think that they last much longer than that. No amount of an animal having Rabies for longer is going to make it set in any faster.

I’m not too sure when animals start to foam at the mouth. That would take a little more research.

Thanks, Gene Marlow.

Actually knowing someone who was attacked by a wild animal, it really depends. Doctors in my opinion aren't quick to treat. Many areas within the USA, don't have known active outbreaks. In such areas you are unlikely to get treatment... In my opinion even if it is requested... At least that is my experience. A couple of people have died from rabies in the past 6 months in the USA.

I had an encounter with a bat last summer. I found it dead in my bedroom and quickly found out that the presumption in that case is that you've been bitten and you need to get the shots. This is because a bat's bite is so small and their teeth are so sharp you may not even know that you've been bitten. It may look like nothing more than a small scratch.

In Michigan, where I live, if a person is going to be exposed to rabies it is because of a bat, not any other animal.

I took the bat to the health department to be tested and was told there was still plenty of time. I found the bat on Friday morning and took it in on Monday morning so treatment doesn't have to be immediate. I believe it's like within 10 days.

I was also told that there are only two shots involved.

My bat came back negative on Wednesday,.

I was also told the only way to contract rabies is from a bite, from the saliva of an infected animal.

Hope it helps.

Yeah, that helps a lot.
And if you don't mind my asking, how come bats are the only creatures to spread rabies in Michigan? Is it that there's like no wild dogs or anything else?
(Was the bat cute?) :)

I think the general rule is to get treatment within ten days. The only way to test for rabies is to dissect your brain, so they give you the shots just in case.

A bat flew into me a little over a year ago, and the next day I noticed what appeared to be bite marks on my hand (which I had instinctively put in front of me.) I ended up having to go for the shots. I got two on the first day and three shots on three consecutive days after that. Now I'm fine (crippling phobia of rabies nonwithstanding.) Apparently I am now, like my pets, vaccinated against rabies (unless it's a big bite involving tons of saliva, which I'm pretty sure I'd notice, in which case I'd go get the necessary booster shots.)

I think everyone has pretty much covered the basics. I just wanted to throw something else out there for you. http://site.jeannagiese.com/ This woman is the first person to contract full-blown rabies (as in she didn't get the shots) and survive. It's a remarkable story so I'd recommend checking out her site. She lives very close to me.

Thanks. I'll check that out!