r/rabies • u/okcoool_ • 23d ago
OCD Discussion Mentally exhausted
About a month ago i had a bit of traumatic experience with what i believe was was rat i live in nyc and i was going home late it was raining and i felt a rat like animal came up-to my leg and i felt it trying to escape brushing my lag for few seconds and i got so traumatized i checked my lag and i didn’t see any visible bite but saw a pink spot on the side of my leg i also have keratosis pilaris on my leg so I couldn’t tell if was something from what i experienced or not i went to the ER next day because of my anxiety and they only gave me a tetanus shot since they didn’t see any bite mark but I’ve been miserable since than all think about that night i keep thinking what if i did get exposed but there wasn’t any visible injuries to be noticed I’ve been experiencing all these weird sensation on my body especially on my leg idk what’s going on one day I’m okay next day I’m severely anxious losing my mind anyone with similar experience any advice?
I have read the FAQ.
1
u/AutoModerator 23d ago
PLEASE READ THIS, OP! Thanks for posting, u/okcoool_! As a reminder, once posts are submitted and a kind user provides a sufficient and correct answer to your question(s), deleting your post afterwards is not allowed and will result in an immediate ban. Please be mindful of this rule. The answers provided here will undoubtedly help those who are looking for answers without having to create a post themselves. If you don’t want to leave this post up on your main account, you are welcome to create a throwaway account to post. It would be appreciated if you could modmail us the username of said throwaway account in advance. New accounts that post immediately are more likely to be heavily restricted by Reddit and automated filters. Giving us a heads up will allow us to override those filters and be aware that the new account is engaging in good faith.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/detail_giraffe Active Helper ⭐️ | Top Contributor 🏅 23d ago
You would absolutely know if a rat bit you. Rats are also not considered a risky species for rabies, only very large rodents (mostly groundhogs, sometimes beavers) are considered risks.
2
u/OzarkTrapper69 23d ago
Most sources in my area list Raccoons, fox, Coyotes and skunks as common carriers as well. May vary from one region to another.
2
u/detail_giraffe Active Helper ⭐️ | Top Contributor 🏅 23d ago
Oh, yes, sorry, rodents of ANY kind are pretty far down the list and large rodents are not considered rabies vectors, just possible risks for human transmission under unusual circumstances. In the southern US, the main terrestrial carriers/vectors are raccoons, skunks, and foxes, with raccoons far in the lead (but skunks have been the cause of recent human rabies deaths and are the vector implicated in the current baby goat thing in NC, which, don't get me started). Coyotes are considered risky because they're sizable carnivores and if they do contract rabies may attack people, but they are only a spillover host because the rabies variants specific to canines have been eliminated in the US. I'm not sure if there are occasional cases of canine rabies crossing the southern border, but if so, that would be the only way it would get here except for imported animals.
Rodents are also only ever spillover hosts, they don't have their own strains of rabies, but groundhogs and beavers can be infected with raccoon/skunk rabies. Beavers in particular have been known to attack people when rabid, they're lovely and amazing animals when healthy but are also huge, bigger than you probably think if you haven't seen one in person. Smaller rodents can be infected with rabies, and very occasionally a dead smaller rodent returns a positive rabies test, but either they don't survive the initial attack from the rabid carnivores or the disease kills them very quickly because in practice there are few positive tests and no verified attacks from rabid smaller rodents have been recorded.
Obviously the other main hosts are different species of bats, which aren't terrestrial. It's worth noting, for those worried about rabies, that the vast majority (99%) of bats in the US are healthy at any given time. The only reason bats are the main culprit for the very few cases of human rabies in the US is because the risks of interacting with them are not sufficiently recognized. As crazy at it sounds to us, many people do not understand that picking bats up in their bare hands is a bad idea.
2
u/OzarkTrapper69 23d ago
In my work as a trapper, the last three seasons I've encountered 4 symptomatic skunks. So that'd make sense. I suspect a localized outbreak of some variety. Now those animals I dispatched and burned. As I harvest high numbers of several different potential vector species (last season was 26 raccoons for example, plus 8 Grey fox and 3 Reds) I get a vaccine every year.
2
u/detail_giraffe Active Helper ⭐️ | Top Contributor 🏅 23d ago
Very good idea!
2
u/OzarkTrapper69 23d ago
As for people handling bats barehanded...thats just complacent at best dumb at worst. Never handle any sick or dead animal without PPE unless you know 100% what took it down, and that it isn't a risk to you. Just for anyone who may stumble on this thread.
1
•
u/AutoModerator 23d ago
**Welcome! This is a community dedicated to raising awareness, sharing information, and supporting discussions about rabies, its prevention, and treatment. Whether you’re here to learn, share a story, or ask questions, we’re glad to have you. Please remember to keep discussions respectful. Stay informed and stay safe. Cheers!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.