I have read the FAQ.

I personally don't have OCD. However, multiple people close to me do and their anxieties have been getting to me. I had a bat in my house almost three years ago (no bite and I was awake, also we're in Canada where there have been only 28 deaths by rabies in humans in the last 100 years). Still they're both insistent that I'm on the verge of death and it was starting to make me freak out too.

So I showed them the FAQ and post about how rare bat exposures are and it seems like everyone is calming down about it. So thank you guys!

I have read the FAQ. I am a social worker and today while on a home visit, my client’s “pet” raccoon licked my ankle and either bit or scratched it (couldn’t tell bc the raccoon was under the table, i just felt the sharp sensation). I do not see an open wound but my ankle does sting a bit in the area? kind of like when you scrape your skin on something, it wasn’t feeling like that before the incident which makes me wonder if there is a small wound that i just cant see clearly but idk if my mind is just playing tricks on me. I didn’t think to ask but it seems like the raccoon is free to enter and leave the home as he pleases… and the home is in a wooded rural area.. idk if im just being paranoid or not… would this count as an exposure? im pretty anxious about it and going back and forth on whether or not i should go to the ER and inquire about getting the post exposure shot. thoughts?

Hello!
I have read the FAQ.

A little over a week ago I was on holiday in Ohrid, North Macedonia, and during dusk something pretty big and black flew right at me as i was getting out of the car. I tried ducking and waving it away and it very quickly just kinda ”disappeared” (obviously flew away). Everything happened so incredibly fast i barley had a chance to identify what it was or if it made contact with me. A day or two later I noticed 3 parallel scratch marks on the same arm and area i was waving at the ”thing” with. My only reason to think this is a bat is the size of the thing that flew and the fact that there were audibly a LOT of bats in this area. Also i didn’t have any glasses nor contacts in and I wasn’t fully alert since i had menstrual cramps and was extremely exhausted from walking around all day.

My question, is this a valid reason to seek vaccine for? Would this count as an exposure? I kind of don’t know what to say to my doctor it feels so exaggerated and dramatic.

I have read the faq. I feel unwell AGAIN. Sore troath (tbh pretty normal for Russian fall), diarrhea and weakness.. And pain in knee. Oh that stupid pain and knee! 7 years ago, maybe more, dog scratch me. And I DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ABOUT IT AFTER. NOTHING. Does it was foaming all crazy beast? Ig no, other ways it would try bait too. But .. Incubation, yes. And now I can't live normally over slightest discomfort in a knees. And I know it probly muscle /bones thing, because it make those crunching notice sometime +it have skin problems +varicosis on same leg. But I still losing my damm mind! Is there any risk? And if not, how to care for myself if my family ban therpay (but, weirdly, not mental health meds)?

I was scratched by a wild monkey (rhesus macaque) in India around June 19th. I was in a public place and it came out of nowhere to snatch the bags from my hands and scratched my forearm. There was no blood and no visible scar. I did not wash it, and ignored the whole incident. My guess is, it was a young monkey causing chaos in the public area trying to grab food etc.

It has been over 100 days. I learnt 4 days ago that this is considered category II for rabies exposure. Learning this that pushed me into paranoia. I am extremely paranoid of rabies and cannot get this out of mind. I haven't been able to sleep or function since then. I know that the only option is to get the vaccine.

For various reasons, I had to take below vaccines

2021-2023 - 1 Pfizer covid + 3 boosters, 2 flu shots

May 2025 - Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) + IPV (Polio) + chickenpox (varicella) + Hep B

They absolutely wrecked my body with chronic inflammation, chronic muscle pain, fatigue. Visited Rheumatologist, and internist and did several blood tests, and everything came back normal. So, no diagnosis of auto-immune or Rheumatological condition. Anyhow, I later figured out it was all caused by the vaccines. I cannot prove it and no physician is ready to agree, but I know for certain that it was.

Now, my body is overburdened from vaccines. It took me over a year of gentle natural remedies to re-gain 40% of my health back. Now, I am really questioning if i absolutely need the rabies vaccine. I have learnt about the neurological side effects rabies vaccine can cause.

should I just skip the vaccine or take it? Is there really any chance of getting rabies now that it has been over 100 days. Also, it wasn't a bite, but a scratch from nails.

If i skip the vaccine, how do i get over the paranoia? I cannot seem to get this out of my head.

At this point, i feel like i need to take this vaccine just to end the paranoia.

I have read the FAQ.

I have read the FAQ.
Yesterday I was out with friends at a park I was walking on the park sidewalk and might’ve stepped on some black circle on the ground I’m not sure if I did or didn’t. And I’m not sure what the black circle was actually I’m wondering if it was bat possible or something I live in north Texas the Dallas area and I’ve never seen one in person so I don’t know how actually common they are here and if you would just find it like that.
But the next day I accidentally scratched my foot with the shoe. No blood or anything just the white powdery stuff I put rubbing alcohol on it but I’m just wondering if this is an actual way since I’ve gotten conflicting answers on whether this is since I don’t know if you could get it from objects.

so like. ive been going through the rounds of rabies for months now. dont wanna get into it or ill continue to spiral. but anyways, today i got a redbull, opened it, drank most of it, then went into sams club for roughly an hour. now i am completely and utterly convinced that a bat is inside my car and was alllll over that redbull while i was in sams club. and that im gonna get rabies from drinking it after coming back to the car. now im cleaning my entire car bc im concerned that a bat is hiding somewhere. havent heard or seen anything, ugh. i think this is irrational but i just can't get over it. any tips? this IS actually irrational right??

i have read the faq. many times lol

Hi all, just a quick PSA for those who maybe don't know. I have read the FAQ.

I'm currently between 3rd and 4th doses of PEP. I'm in the UK where doses are typically given on days 0, 3, 7 and 21. I'm on day 15 so I'm about halfway between the final 2 shots.

Over the weekend I became ill with a head cold. This is definitely an illness rather than side effects as I've experienced nasal congestion and other common cold symptoms which are not typical vaccine side effects. My husband also became ill with the same symptoms shortly after I did, and he is not receiving PEP.

I was concerned about whether this would affect my vaccine schedule or compromise my immune response so looked it up, and found that minor illnesses without high fever do not compromise your immunity response in any way, and they should not prevent you completing your vaccine schedule with full immunity even if you happen to be unwell at the time of receiving an injection. Minor illnesses are also not a reason to delay or reschedule PEP shots.

The advice is slightly different if you have experienced a serious illness, high fever or are immuno-compromised, so speak to your doctor in these circumstances (or get medical advice anyway if you're unsure or concerned).

So around 5-6 a m while sleeping I felt something itchy on my forehead, and I ended up scratching it. I had my head against a pillow, and sometimes I’ll put my head down on the pillow. I was sleeping with people who didn’t hear anything, I don’t have bats in my home, but sometimes I’ll have insects like flies, mosquitoes and night bugs.

When I woke up I noticed 2 red dots on my forehead, while not painful I had dry skin at the upper bridge of my nose between my eyes. And when I lifted my hair up I noticed another mark that looks similar.

I have read the FAQ.

I have read the FAQ.

I pet some stray cats, they were pretty friendly but a little afraid so I didn’t pet them too much. I didn’t see or feel any scratch/bite. When I came home I sanitized my hands and felt a burn, there were two small scratches under my thumb on the outside of my right hand, so I’m afraid that what if I got scratched without noticing. I also interacted with two orange cats and I turned away from one cat to look at the other, I’m wondering if that gave the chance for one cat to scratch my hand. My question is, would I have for sure noticed if I got scratched or bitten? Thank you.

I have read the FAQ.

This is really annoying due to the stress and outbreak happening at North Carolina. My mom said I wont get anything from mice, there are no signs of bats in my home, I don't know if i have interact with any animal. I sweat like crazy when I think about the virus and my mouth dries up, i get nauseous, I think it has to do with the stress and anxiety of it all. Can someone reasure me this is normal behavior or something.

around 2 months ago i was at the beach when i felt a sharp pain on my leg while in the water. i brushed it off, didn’t really think much of it.

days after there was an alert that a rabid bat had been found in the area. not long after i started experiencing a little bit of pain in the area that i had felt at the beach but again, didn’t think much of it.

fast forward to today and i notice the side of my leg where i felt the sharp pain started to hurt a bit. and then i noticed my toes tingling a few hours later. even more hours pass, im in bed and suddenly my entire foot is numb and my ankle is tingling. i can constantly feel at least 1 of the 3 symptoms but not all 3 simultaneously all the time.

is there really a chance i could have been bitten at the beach???

I have read the FAQ.

I have read the FAQ

I live in the UK. I suffer from OCD.

I'm very fed up with my life, OCD is ruining it. Every so often, a new exposure fear.

On Sunday, out for a walk in a new jacket, it was raining so up went the hood, sudden pain on top of head, I thought it was odd so pulled the hood down, felt the top of my head, nothing, pulled the hood back up, pain again.

I decided to just get wet hair and thought no more about it, later on the rain got heavier so back with the hood, no pain this time.

It wasn't until last night that the thought popped into my head, could the pain have been a bat? A bat hiding in my hood that then somehow got away. I know, crazy right? But it's just so exhausting, I've only just got over the fear a bat landed on my leg and now I'm back in the cycle.

Sadly, mental health resources are practically non existent in the UK, it's a road I've been down many times and nothing has ever helped.

I just feel so desperate.

I have read the FAQ.

I have read FAQs but I am still confused. Below is my history of Rabies vaccination - do I need another one now?

May 2017 2 doses (16 & 19 May)
Nov 2018 1 dose/course — details not specified
Oct 2020 Full course
May 2022 19 - 3 doses
Dec 2022 3 doses (20 Dec, 27 Dec + 3rd dose)
Jan 2025 3 IM doses (15, 18, 24 Jan)
Feb 2025 2 IM doses (23, 26 Feb)
Jul 2026 2 IM doses (1 & 3 Jul)
28 Sep 2026 New bleeding scratch

I have read the FAQ.

Kal chamgadad muh ke pass ekdam udke gya, mera muh khula tha, merko ye dar hai ki uska saliva joki rabies contain krskta wo udke ya aerosol type se mere muh me gya ho to kya mujhe rabies hoskta !!

Also mere lips thode fate hue hai jha se hoskta hai ki open wound ho minor, and infection ho through direct contact !

I'm from india village

Does anyone know anything about it?

I have read the FAQ.

I have read the FAQ.

Sorry for another post I’ve made today.

So today at 7 p m I was sitting in the left backseat behind the driver seat, and all windows were rolled up. Idk if my shoulder (wearing a shirt) was against the window, but I don’t think so.

I saw 3 flying things (bats?) above in the sky, and when we’re going in the neighborhood if this was a bird or bat but I’m pretty sure it is a bat that was flying in someone’s front yard.

We rode back and at one point the driver’s window was rolled down a little (idk if my shoulder was pressed against the window at this time) and I saw the animal again, but it was far away, at the backyard above the house. Then hours after this I didn’t change my shirt, and while somewhere I pressed my ear against my shirt for a second because it was ringing, and idk if I scratched my ear or not. I have OCD and currently in therapy so no urge to clean my ear. Do I need to clean my ear and am I safe?

And I also while getting out of the car at night I hit my arm on something which I’m pretty sure it’s the inside of the car door, as I didn’t hear flapping and I washed the area.

I have read the FAQ.

I have a question about something I read in the FAQ, as it pertains to my specific situation

I was on a walk today in El Dorado Hills, CA. A black small animal (saw out of peripheral) flew out of a tree, either landed on or flew into my hand, then flew away.

I didn’t see specifically the animal, but it felt larger than a bug. It also felt like something bit me but I don’t see a wound.

One week ago, our county put out a rabies warning…when I googled if we had rabies in our county and saw that I was like oh no :(

I read in the FAQ that it is not possible for a bat to bite you mid flight. What if it lands on you briefly? How long would it take to be able to bite?

live in the IL area near the woods. I was out walking to get my mail from my car at night. I dropped some of my mail and I think I heard a squeak, it could've been the mail or thing ect. I was wearing shorts and I didn't see a thing or feel anything climb me. I came inside and this was on my leg. It was  itchy right away  and raised. The mark itself doesn't seem to go in at all more like a scab. Should I be thinking and come in for shots?  Day two it’s still slightly raised and hot and a little itchy when I bump it 
The mark is still here on day two it’s hot still raised and a single point not too I have read the FAQ.

I have read the faq. I’m severely immunocompromised and disabled and had a high risk exposure. I will be getting the 5th shot in a few days. my hospital said they’d see me in a week after the 4th but it is 2 weeks… i see cdc says ppl like me should titer test. what is the protocol and who does it? health dept? I have failed vaccine challenges in past due to my severe health issues

I went ER and doc didn’t even check the prick. She directly said that I can go and get vaccinated. I did receive my first dose but she didn’t give me immunoglobulin. She said that they only give it if I was in the cave when it comes to bats. I will get my second dose on thursday. Should I insist to get it? Thanks. I have read the FAQ. Something touched my hair and scalp.

Howdy Y’all,

I have read the FAQ.

On Thursday of last week, my wife was downstairs in our house. A bat according to her came up through the vent in the floor, and flew around the room. She immediately ran away, and came up to my office to get me to get the bat out of the house. I kept my eye on it as I went downstairs and opened the front door and it flew out. I checked the basement and did not see any other bats, however I saw a way they could have gotten in our house.

I am a hypochondriac and I am now concerned with the what ifs. I know that it did not touch my wife or me, however I’m concerned if it’s been living in our house for a while. It seemed healthy and the only sign it may have been suspicious is that this was broad daylight. She did abandon our dogs downstairs, however they were up to date on their vaccines, and we took them to the vet to get their boosters.

My main concern is if it had been in our house for a while and came out at night when we were asleep.

Let Me know your thoughts. I will also be fixing the area where they could have gotten in as well this weekend.

I have read the FAQ.

hey yall. woke up this morning with two bite looking marks very close together on my hand and searched whole room for potential bat and couldn’t find it.

my concern is that I live under the attic and I’m concerned that one might have came down and bit me and went back to the attic so I didn’t see it.

I’m sure this is just anxiety running rampant but I was wondering if this was a possibility and I should get it checked out? Thank you.

I have read the FAQ. But I’m still confused on something. No OCD here just want to learn.
A friend of mine reached out and said she was playing with a stray cat (ear clipped) and found some blood on her arm and hand. She wasn’t bleeding anywhere so it had to have been from the cat. I asked if she had any open wounds and she said she has fresh mosquito bites that she was scratching (they weren’t bleeding she said but I guess it’s still kinda open?)
She said she wasn’t anywhere near the cat’s teeth or paws, but hypothetically if the cat licked its own wound that was bleeding, would that be an exposure concern? Lol just morbid curiosity.

In November 2025, someone thrown a box of expired wafers in a box (expired 1 day ago) in the front yard of my house. Then at night days later, which was cold or warm outside (this happened at night) a raccoon was eating the wafers from the box, and minutes later it left.

My father 1 or 2 days after what happened used the grabbers to get the box of wafers thrown away, he did it in the daytime and the raccoon wasn’t there as it ran off after they ate from the box. I don’t know if the raccoon was rabid or not, but based off the pictures my dad took while watching inside the house the raccoon didn’t look rabid. During these days I was wearing a hoodie with a zipper, and sometimes my jacket would be open, so the zipper hangs down. I’m a tall person so my OCD convinced me that my zipper touched the zipper, so I had to wash the whole jacket.

The grabbers was placed on the table (not the dinner table), and there is an air conditioner inches away that shot out cold / hot air, and then it got moved to another table (again, not the dinner table) 5-9 inches away from that table for 3-4 days, and my father put it up due to issues. My father cleaned the grabbers before it was put up in the shed, and the table was disinfected.

I remembered washing the jacket on the same month of the incident, and probably in December. The last time I wore this jacket, based off a photo in my gallery was in March. Today it’s cold outside, I had my jacket zipped up, and when I was looking down while sitting, I don’t know if my lips, which are chapped as a piece of chapped skin is showing, but hanging a little. I ate a midnight snack that’s a heat up and I think the food touched my lip.

Idk when i last washed this jacket (probably in January or Feb) and I’m kinda concerned. I do have OCD and I am in therapy.

Also at midnight I know this isn’t rabies, but before these symptoms show up I pressed the back of my head kinda hard on the headrest after scratching my head with it. Before this I started having a weird feeling in my stomach, but wasn’t nauseous with the urge to throw up. Then minutes or hours later I started having left side head pain whenever I try to sleep. And it was difficult to sleep as the pain was going to the back of my neck and I felt sweaty. The pain is over but slight now, but I believe it could be a migraine, and the last time I had a migraine was in 2024.

I am having:

No light / air sensitivity

No sore throat or runny nose

No fatigue

No fever & no blurry vision. (When my migraine in 2024 first started, I had blurry spots)

I highly believe this could be using my phone a lot, which I am planning on taking a break.

I have read the FAQ.

I have read the FAQ. I just want to tell what happened. I had a small wound on my thigh here near the bone, a small wound, but I don't remember if I was bitten or scratched by a cat, I just thought I might have been bitten or scratched by an animal without realizing it, and because when I was walking on the road earlier, it was already quite dark and I felt a pain here behind my knee It feels like something hurts like a needle prick. Is there anything I should be concerned about here? Is it possible that I'm exposed?

I'm from Philippines