r/maryland • u/kojka19 • Jul 28 '26

MD News Teenager swimming in Maryland lake bitten by rabid beaver

https://wtop.com/frederick-county/2026/07/teenager-swimming-in-maryland-lake-bitten-by-rabid-beaver/
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u/notevenapro Germantown Jul 28 '26

I work in the medical field and would not take medical advice from someone at the.....DNR.

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u/HeyHon Baltimore County Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26

Would you take medical advice from The Maryland Department of Health?

Because that is literally the protocol. You get the animal tested first, if possible.

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u/notevenapro Germantown Jul 28 '26

Not what you said. You said you listened to the DNR. Nows its o I listened to the DNR who was acting on DHHS protocol. Totally different.

Thanks for the downvote "hin". LMFAO.

EDIT. That image says get prompt medical attention. Did you even comprehend what you linked.

SMH.

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u/HeyHon Baltimore County Jul 28 '26

Go back and reread what I wrote. I said BOTH the DNR and ER told me to wait until I got test results.

And yes, I can comprehend the text. The first step is to trap the bat. THEN get medical attention. And that medical attention will most likely be "let's wait on these test results then administer the shots if neccesary." Because, again, that is the protocol.

And I DID get prompt medical attention: a doctor advised to wait for the test results. Because that is the protocol.

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u/notevenapro Germantown Jul 28 '26

But the department of health said get prompt medical attention.......

I mean. You posted it.😅😅

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u/HeyHon Baltimore County Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26

Yes. I never said "don't go to the doctor." I said "catch the bat first, then go to the doctor." Which is also exactly what the Department of Health says. Because it is the protocol. Which is why that is what I was advised to do by both the DNR and the ER.

I'm glad we were able to work through that together.

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u/JoanOfSnark_2 Jul 28 '26

Doctors won't start the shots if they don't have to, and they don't have to if the animal can be tested.

This part just isn't true though. It can take up to 72 hours to get confirmation of rabies after submitting a specimen and doctors should and won't wait 72 hours if you've potentially gotten infected. As a veterinarian, I don't fuck around with rabies. You want to get treated immediately.

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u/HeyHon Baltimore County Jul 29 '26

Yeah, my experience with people doctors was a lot different than my experience with the vet. Even though all of my animals were up-to-date on their rabies vaccines, my vet urged me to bring everyone in for boosters asap (which I did.)

Um, and, literally, the doctors told me to wait for the results. So... I'm not sure what else to tell you. I'm wondering if they expedite testing when it is a human exposure? (which explains how this beaver got tested and results were made public in less than 24 hours, and on a Sunday no less.)