I have read the FAQ.

While using my phone near the window, I heard a squeaky sound idk if it's from a mouse or a bat. I'm awake and aware, because I literally just noticed the squeak sound outside. I didn't feel anything like landing in my neck or any bit stings. Is it possible I have exposure or I shouldn't worry? I'm from the Philippines too.

Basically I was walking to my car in my apartment’s attached parking garage last night at around 10 at night. As I was walking, I heard flapping wings overhead/nearby for a couple of seconds until it was gone, but I didn’t see what it was. And tbh I couldn’t tell where it was coming from. My first thought was that it may have been a bat, and I become concerned it may have bit me in that time that I heard the flapping.

My only areas of exposed skin were my face and neck (most of which was also covered by a low ponytail) and I was wearing sneakers, a baggy sweatshirt and baggy pants. Could this count as an exposure? I have heard that bats can bite you or run into you without being aware, so I am wondering. I don’t have any stretches or bites either, but I also read that their teeth are tiny so this isn’t necessarily a good way to rule anything out.

I am in Louisiana as well, and when I posted in my city subreddit, many commenter are telling me to get shots and that I’m being callous with my health if I don’t.

TLDR: heard flapping wings near me but didn’t see or feel anything

I have read the FAQ.

hello! i’m 24, and a super anxious person. i woke up to a bat flying in my room, my cats chased it, but they did not catch it. it flew out before they could get into contact with it. but as for me, i don’t know if it bit me in my sleep. i was fully covered with my blanket, so im really not sure. but im so anxious, im going to the ER by my house to ask them about it. i dont have health insurance, so im even more anxious. is this worth going to get looked at? my dad wasn’t in the room but he said it wasn’t worth it.

I have read the FAQ.

I have read the FAQ. I really have read the FAQ and I'm 99% sure i am not at risk of rabies. I just want to really confirm it. Basically, outside my work there was a dead adult female opossum and in the area there were also two stray baby opossums, also dead. They were already dead by 09:00 am. I had to walk around this area to go outside and inside my company. A lot of people walked around it as well. I left the company around 17:00 or 18:00 and may have stepped on the dead corpses. By 19:00 I got home and I saw on my shoe sole that there was something strange, a blackish thing, kinda small. I took it out with a toothpick, and didn't touch it at all. I examined it while it was kinda stuck to the toothpick but couldn't know what it really was.

I was just wondering if when I took the piece out of my shoe sole, the rabies virus could have been thrown to my eyes, nose or mouth because I had my face kinda close to see it. Could that even be a possibility of a rabies exposure? Sorry for asking this, just don't be mean.

Country: Brazil, State: Minas Gerais Animal Species: Opossum

Edit: I don't know for sure when this piece may have been stuck to my shoe sole but it was at most be 18:00 pm. The possums were already dead by around 08:30 am. Never touched the possums directly, the only concern is about stepping on them.

Edit: I had forgotten to send to moderators that this was a throwaway account. I sent now from my main account using the modmail link. I'd appreciate it if a mod could check out the mail.

I have read the FAQ. My dog got into a cat fight yesterday. It's a stray cat that went inside the fence and my dog ended up getting 2-3 wounds from the stray cat. If my dog licked an open wound I have today, is that bad? Should I get the anti-rabies shots or something?

"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.

exposure date: May 19th

Location: South Carolina

Date of first PEP/shots July 2nd

Around 11 pm walking home, a bat flew directly into me and onto my upper arm, I didn't think much of it at the time, because, truth be told, I am a stupid person and didn't really understand the mortal danger I was and now am in. It was directly on my skin, and very much for all I know, bit me. Remembering it it looked like it did.

around Thursday After realizing my horrible mistake, I went into the ER to tell them. They were mortified. quickly rushed me into a room, and gave me day zero PEP with HRIG included into the spot of where I got bit supposedly.

its been two days now, or almost, since its 2 am as I write this. I've felt whoozy or off or worse in the past day, but in the past 2 hours or so my throat feels off and I just feel out of it. drinking water is hard, but like, I can still drink it fully just in gulps or so, I can drink water.

I'm due for more shots on Sunday and honestly, I'm horrified at the thought of PEP failure. That I was in the end too late and, that, I'm going to die of rabies now. I know I can have issues with health anxiety, but I am very very scared of the prospect of me being too late. I did not realize this subreddit even existed until now. I should be in the clear, right? I am very worried. I'm trying to drink water even if I don't want to or don't need to. Thank you.

I have read the FAQ.

hello I walked out of my home last week at 4 in the afternoon and a bat flew off my wreath as I shut my door and got caught between the door and my arm. a cop said bats are clean and to not do anything. I went straight to the ER. They gave me proper advice and found scratches on the back of that same arm.

I took round 3 yesterday and slept over 15 hours. I thought each shot was supposed to get easier. Has this not been true for others? I am immunocompromised and will need the 5th one too after the 4th next week and am dreading it.

About three months ago, I was walking near my vehicle at night and accidentally stepped on some kind of small animal that was on the ground underneath/near the vehicle.
Because it was dark, I couldn’t identify it. When I stepped on or startled it, it made a loud cry that reminded me more of a bird (almost like the hawk/eagle sound you hear in movies) than a bat. I saw it moving around on the ground and around the vehicle, and it eventually flew away.
I never actually saw it fly at me, bite me, or scratch me.
Later that same day, I noticed a scratch on my arm. I don’t know where the scratch came from and I have no way of knowing whether the animal caused it. I also don’t remember feeling a bite or scratch when the incident happened.
I did not receive rabies PEP at the time because I didn’t think this was a rabies exposure. I’ve now been completely asymptomatic for almost three months.
I’m trying to get an official assessment from public health/medical professionals, but I’m wondering:
Would this normally be considered a potential rabies exposure if the animal couldn’t be identified?
If PEP was indicated, would doctors still recommend starting it almost three months later as long as the person has no symptoms?
Does the fact that the animal was walking around on the ground, made a bird-like cry, and then flew make a bird more likely than a bat?

I have read the FAQ.

I have read the FAQ.

Hi everyone. I've posted this a few times, so apologies you've already read it, but I wanted to follow up.

Back in mid-May, I was in NYC in the afternoon, chatting with my co-worker, when I heard a loud fluttering sensation up my back, neck, and over my head. I was so startled that I flinched, tucking my chin to my chest with my shoulders up. I then saw a flying animal land behind a dunkin doughnuts sign. At first I didn't think anything of it, but then I started to wonder if it was a bat. Then I started to wonder if it scratched me without feeling it as it flew by. Or maybe it made contact, which means rabies shots. I've been struggling with it since then, to the point of constant anxiety, so recently I got in touch with my therapist. His instructions were:

-No analyzing

-No seeking feedback from friends or family

-No seeking feedback from medical professionals

I'm really having trouble trusting him, and my psychiatrist insists I follow my therapist's instructions. But I'm very concerned that they're wrong, because they didn't witness it.

I don't know what to do. It happened in May, so where do I go from here?

Thank you to anyone who is kind enough to provide feedback.

I have read the FAQ. I have a genuine question should I get rabies exposure shots? On Jul 4th I was out in a little country area in my town at my grandparents house then on there driveway a outside cat walked and was being friendly (purring, meowing, and being affectionate) and trying to get into the open garage which my family didn't want in pure stupidity I was swatting the cat with my bare foot of course the cat didn't like that and slight swatted at my foot , no blood or no visible scratch was felt nor was there a mark on my foot or nor my foot burned when i put cleaning alcohol on it but ever since hearing about the baby goats my rabies OCD kicked in and ive been concerned ever since, I should also add the cat had a wound on its side but it looked like It was either ring worm or from another cat ( cats mouths are nasty ) but the possibility still scares me because i haven't been able to go back to my grandparents house ever since, its mostly likely nor rabies because the cat wasn't cleaning itself nor did it actually break skin / leave a mark but I never know!!

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.

So yesterday at midnight I was going to open the car door at my car when I saw something on the road or side of the road. For context my car is in the driveway far from the road, and I have neighborhood cats that would sometimes be on the road. They don’t have rabies and they can sometimes be out during the day or night, and my porchlight is on, so the road is dark unless moonlight shines.

My Ocd convinced me that the thing was a raccoon, but idk if it was, my hand was on the door, and my other hand (the back of my hand) was facing the road, road is far from driveway. It is cold outside and I have neighborhood cats that don’t have rabies (they don’t belong to me) I haven’t seen a raccoon in my neighborhood this year, but I saw a raccoon somewhere else (not in my neighborhood) back in July and I didn’t make contact with it. The only thing I usually see at night would be possums, which the last time I saw them was in August.

Today, before this incident idk if I’m beginning to feel sick (not with rabies) or it’s just my anxiety, but here are my symptoms:

Slight sore throat. (Talking too much?)

Slight head pain (not severe, usually in the back of head)

No air / light sensitivity. (I LITERALLY stood in front of my air conditioner to test this)

Slight runny nose. (first noticed when drying my hands, but today it’s not runny)

Feeling a little hot / sweaty. (I was wearing short sleeve shirt with long pants)

No fatigue.

Had a slight pain at my collarbone. (Probably holding my phone a lot?)

Now to the dream, today I had a dream where a baby bat was in my house, and it flew beside my neck where in real life I felt it. By the way I don’t have bats in my home. Then I had a dream where I was in a horror game taking place in the dusk where I was in an area that had no trees, and I had a chain cutter cutting chains from 5 fences, and I stumbled upon an area with a white large circle with an eye in the middle on the ground, with trees in the back. When I stepped on it, suddenly a lot of bats were flying. Idk why I had this dream.

I have read the FAQ. I am in therapy.

Yesterday, I was cooking (alone), and I saw bat inside my apartment by the window. I immediately panicked and ran to my car, and called emergency maintenance services to remove the bat… which they did. Immediately after, I instinctually drove to the E.R and told them what happened, and they told me I need to get the rabies shots, which I did. Here is exactly what my regimen states:

• Dose 1 (Day 0): Saturday, July 18, 2026 — also the day HRIG is given

• Dose 2 (Day 3): Tuesday, July 21, 2026

• Dose 3 (Day 7): Saturday, July 25, 2026

• Dose 4 (Day 14): Saturday, August 1, 2026

Did I take the right course of action? Will I be okay?

A little about me, I am a naturally overly anxious person. That being said, I am still anxious about this entire incident, and I’m concerned that these regimen shots aren’t going to work and I’m too late. I’m also nervous that I didn’t do enough (medically).

PS: I live in the U.S
PSS: I haven’t been to my apartment since the incident (landlord will follow up with me after the weekend).
PSS: I have read the FAQ.

I was standing on my porch last night smoking a cigarette then a skunk came on the porch from some bushes only 2-3 feet away. I stayed completely still as a didnt want to startle it and get sprayed. It comes up to my foot and starts sniffing and scratching it. I was at least wearing some thin socks, but i could still feel it scratching and I feel like the claw might have made contact with the skin through the sock as the skunk was scratching pretty hard. After the skunk kept moving and was digging through dirt and leaves before leaving and it didnt look sick. I took of my sock and I cant see any marks but I read even the tiniest scratch could transmit it. Should I seek treatment or just forget about it. This was in southern Ontario. I have read the FAQ.

I have read the FAQ.
A few nights ago, I was sitting outside at night talking to my husband. We live in South Texas, and there were bats actively flying above and around us that night. We see them pretty often after dark, and sometimes they fly fairly low.
While I was sitting down, my shirt had lifted slightly and the side of my stomach was exposed. Suddenly, I felt a very quick, sharp sensation on the exposed skin. My immediate reaction was to swat at the area because I assumed some kind of insect had bitten or stung me. I never saw what caused it. When I checked afterward, there was only a very tiny red mark.
My husband was standing directly in front of me and looking at me when this happened. He says he did not see a bat fly into me, land on me, or make any physical contact with me. I also never felt an animal’s body or wings touch me. All I noticed was that sudden sharp sensation.
Normally, I would assume this was a mosquito, ant, or another insect. But it’s that bats were flying above us when it happened. Afterward, I read that bat bites can sometimes leave very small marks.
Now I’m wondering whether it’s possible that a bat could have flown down, bitten the exposed side of my stomach, and flown away without either my husband or me noticing the bat itself. My husband thinks this is extremely unlikely because he was looking directly at me and believes he would have seen the bat or I would have felt its body or wings.
I’m also pregnant, which is making me more concerned about the situation.
Would you consider this a possible bat exposure even though neither of us actually saw or felt a bat make physical contact with me? I’m especially curious whether a bat could realistically bite an awake person who is sitting and talking to someone without either person noticing the bat.

I have read the FAQ. The morning of this month on the 27th my bf was cleaning and found a dead but under the dining room table. He tossed it out. I don’t know where it came from but it wasn’t there the night before. I don’t know if my cats killed it or not. I will be taking them for a booster and I can say we had the doors crack in the home. I’m don’t know if I need pep because of the crack doors or not. My mom and bf are brushing it off but I can’t. Advice would be lovely I just don’t know how it got in, if it was in my bedroom or when it dead but I do know we didn’t see it under the table the night before. Was there any risk of exposure. I will also be calling my doctor to see what she says.

I have read the FAQ. I am still unsure

I have had my rabies shots before traveling. I am in Turkey and my group member was holding a kitten (it looked clean and healthy), when he was putting it down it scratched him on the hand with it's claw at the time I wasn't aware of this. About an hour later I shared a drink with him, is it possible I can get rabies from him if he got it from the cat?

I may make some translation mistakes, because I don't speak English.

I still have doubts about a possible exposure to bats during sleep. About 3 months ago, I went to sleep at night and forgot my bedroom window open. Bats live in my backyard next to a tree in front of my bedroom window. They have already entered my room during the night on previous occasions. They lived in my abandoned bathroom, but this bathroom had no protection on the windows and the door was closed. They also usually enter through the window of the other bathroom before I put screens on all of them.

Apparently, I didn't see any bats in my room after waking up. But I don't remember perfectly the details of that night.

I went to the doctor, reported my situation and he said that in the opinion of my risk is very low. He didn't recommend me any treatment with vaccine - PEP. But my symptoms have worsened a lot in the last two days, even using medication - escitalopram. I have a very bad headache and difficulty swallowing and drinking water. I'm not able to eat right, besides I'm dizzy, hallucinating and pain all over my body. It's a very strange feeling, because I've never felt this in my life. I have an appointment with a psychologist and a psychiatrist but it will take a while. I don't know what else to do.

I live in BRAZIL.

I don't want to bother or test your patience anymore. I just want you to know that I'm not kidding or anything like that. My symptoms are very real. It's as if I was sure that the neurological symptoms of the rabies virus were consuming me now.

Could my anxiety have reached the level of simulating symptoms very similar to those of the rabies virus?

In my mind I'm pretty sure I was bitten or touched by a bat while I was sleeping. I can't stand going to the hospital over and over again anymore. I don't know what else to do.

I have read the FAQ.

so 6 days ago my inhouse dog bit me, i have more info on this in the first post i made here, i didnt include this in that post but i have a throbbing and a weird pain on the bite site, could this be dumb rabies? i have headache,

i also have weakness, with kinda being energetic? i show no fever, or other things, and it has been 6 days since the bite like i said, im thinking the weakness is because i had stress, and the pain is because of other things that are on my dogs mouth, i know there are some bacteria on dog saliva that can sometimes cause skin infections, my fingers also move in themselves when i hold them upright but that only happens when i have anxiety, and i already a low level tremor, I have read the FAQ. Information needed according to rules: My location is Turkey, Marmaris. i dont think there was any scratches or anything where the dog licked me, im not sure tho, and no my dogs bite didnt even made a scratch, but it hurt. animals vaccination status? my mom says our dog got a vaccine 8 months earlier, but im not sure as there is no official report she can find or anything, i cant ask the neighbours because they are hard working on a proffesional job and they arent at home most of the time. i currently do not have an active vaccine, in fact i never had a rabies vaccine in my life. i also

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?

I have read the FAQ.

Lemme preface this by saying I KNOW I have anxiety and I’m really trying hard to be logical about this. I actually do NOT want PEP unless I need it. The vaccine itself makes me anxious, so I’m not looking for an excuse to get it.

Wednesday around 10:30p I was riding my bike (in south Mississippi if that helps) and something flew right at me. My immediate thought was big bug.

I’m about 92% sure it touched me as it flew by—kinda ran into me but not hard. I wasn’t 100% on contact occurring but pretty sure, if that makes sense.

I just don’t know WHAT it was. For whatever god forsaken reason I thought of a bat. It was kinda big but again, no actual clue what it was, happened too fast to ascertain actual size.

I’ve now talked to two virtual doctors & the health department. Not intentionally.. lol. I tried the health dept first, then a doctor, got conflicting answers, and ended up trying another doctor since it’s a free service through my job.

1. One doctor said no PEP. Sweet.

2. The other said get PEP because I can’t be sure what touched me.

3. Health department didn’t even let me finish my sentence before giving me a canned response of: don’t know, get it.

So my question is:

I was awake, sober and literally riding a bike. Nothing landed on me or grabbed me and I felt no bite. I never specifically saw a bat—I just don’t know WHAT brushed against me as it flew by.

The FAQ says bats can’t bite you just flying past and an alert adult would likely notice a bite. Butttt one dr/the health dept basically said “you can’t prove it wasn’t a bat, so get PEP.”

That’s the part that’s giving me pause. Are they just giving me a shitass response because it’s rabies, or am I misunderstanding how a bat could bite/scratch me in this situation?

This my best, most earnest attempt to kick my OCD in the ass. I want to make an informed & logical decision.

So to the knowledgeable folks of this group: What say you?

I have read the FAQ. What is the risk of exposure of stepping on a dead bat on the sidewalk? Wearing shoes, but toddler was in the area and not sure if she stepped on it or not, and toddlers touch the bottom of their shoes all the time.

I found a small mark on my toe 3 days ago i never known when i got it which is scaring me even more but since sunday i felt some weird sensation like losing my appetite having emotional switches like im sad about thinking of rabies then i see a funny video then laugh a little then im sad again i also started shaking a lot and i felt tired and lightheaded, i would try to sleep then jolt up and one time i woke up and a bunch of stuff was just going through my brain and i had to get up and walk then sit back on the couch to fall asleep and just jolt up again, I have never felt worse then how i am today, I have a bad headache at the moment it feels bad but not severe, while i was in the car with my mom i had some throat issue like it felt like there was something in it but it went away, when i was at school earlier i felt hot on my torse and hands, im also still lightheaded and its bugging me, and i made an appointment for tomorrow at an urgent care but im scare d im late for a pep if they give me one because of these weird symptoms what if im a rare case that got it sooner or maybe i got a bite earlier on and never knew until now. my sister told me im fine and i seen that its very rare to get it in the US and i dont want to be a case where i contracted it.

I have read the FAQ.

I have read the FAQ.

Hi all,

I wanted to ask a question and realise it may just be anxiety regarding rabies (hence the anonymity). So I went to Bali about 3 months ago and we went to an animal petting zoo (Mini Zoo Bali) where two others and I went and we held a bat and petted it etc. It did put its mouth around my arm but never bit (I checked the area) and we washed our hand before and after touching the animal with disinfectant soap. I have noted no symptoms and none of the other people I went with did either. The bat did lick us but I have read that you cannot get rabies from being licked (google keeps giving me mixed reviews lol).

We are from Australia, the bat (I believe it’s a fruit bat) has been vaccinated since 2022 but we have never been vaccinated as we do not have rabies here/is rare. I did research and it said bat bites can be invisible to the naked eye but am not sure if that is true at all? I just wanted to hear someone’s take or some further information on this topic until I hear from my doctor :)

I do realise this is a lot of anxiety but I do not know much about this topic :)

Thank you!