Expert: Tina Budde - 10/7/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hi Tina,
I am Akash once again.Now I get the vaccines as a precaution for,may be if the dog licked any on my wound but I dont think that this was happened.Tina now I am in big trouble due to the fear and tension of rabies,because of tension many bad and negative thoughts are coming in my mind about if I get rabbies from this thing or that thing.If you please clear my those doubts who creating tension you can save me from die form tension.
My doubt 1- That dog was licking me for past two years(you know where) and I saw the dog many times but I dont know about health.So can I say that now after take vaccines I am safe?
My doubt 2- When the dog last time licked me is 20 days before I get vaccinated so am I safe now?
My doubt 3- This creating so many tension.Suppose that if the dog any time licked on my wound and it is unknown to me so am I safe after get vaccines
My doubt 4- Another tension creating question is that suppose if any time I in haled my hand after dog licked on it,can gives me rabbies?Or after get vaccines I am safe now?
My doubt 5- My last question which is fairly just an tension is that,suppose if the dog licked my hands and after wash them with soap and water I eat my food without spoon so can this too give me rabies?
Tina these are my five doubts whic creating too much tension even sometimes I think to sucied.You are my last ray of hope.What do you think how many chances I hav to get rabies in future from those things or I am safe because of vaccines?
Now I am suffering from fever of about 100 to 102 and cough in my neck so in tension I start think is this an symptom?Please Tina help me.

ANSWER: Hi Akash,

You got the vaccines?  Have you seen the dog lately?  Doubt 1:  If you see the dog and it's healthy, you have no worries from 20 days ago.  The normal time it would take a dog to have rabies is about 14 days.  If you had the vaccine, you should be fine.  Doubt 2, the vaccine will stop rabies.  Doubt 3 you should be safe from the vaccine.  Doubt 4  YOu are safe now.  Doubt 5, you said you washed your hands so you would not get rabies after washing your hands, the only way would be if there was a wound on your hand.

Relax, the fever and cough is probably from a cold or flu, there's alot of germs going around.

Tina

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: thanks Tina but I got this fever before I get vaccinated and now again.
and can you tell me that what type of symptom raise after fever and how many time can rabies take to spread completely after fever?and thanks again.

ANSWER: The first symptoms are twitching and tingling sensations in the bite or affected area.  
The other symptoms are:

•irritability
•excessive movements or agitation
•confusion
•hallucinations
•aggressiveness
•bizarre or abnormal thoughts
•muscle spasms
•abnormal postures
•seizures (convulsions)
•weakness or paralysis (when a person cannot move some part of the body)
•extreme sensitivity to bright lights, sounds, or touch
•increased production of saliva or tears
•difficulty speaking

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Tina I said I got this fever too before I get vaccines so I want to know that how much time can rabies take to spread completely after a fever?

Answer
Akash, usually 14 days is when you see severe symptoms and complete spread is roughly 2 weeks to a month.  I know you are pretty worried and upset so I would suggest you go to your doctor and have a saliva or blood test to see if you really have it or not.  Many other kinds of virus have fevers and there are alot of flu bugs going around.  Get the test so you can know for sure ok?

tina