Why behave like a rabid monkey

In these regions, Rabies is most often reported in wild animals such as raccoons, skunks, and foxes. In Canada and the United States, most human Rabies infections are associated with bats. Due to their small size, bat bites or scratches may not be noticeable or leave no obvious puncture wounds. Bat rabies occurs in every country with the exception of New Zealand and Antarctica. Bats are a high risk vector for Rabies transmission because bite wounds or scratches can go undetected and therefore untreated.

In some circumstances, the victim may not even know they had contact with a bat — bats become most active at night and may bite or scratch a person while they sleep. While most animals will demonstrate some signs of illness such as aggression or lack of balance, some may not have noticeable symptoms.

In countries with canine Rabies, avoid contact with dogs and other biting mammals such as monkeys , particularly if they are acting strangely. Teach children not to pet, feed, or play with animals — even if the animal is friendly. Encourage them to report any contact with an animal and reassure them that it is not their fault if they get bitten or scratched. If you or your child are bitten or scratched by an animal, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water, rinse it with antiseptic, and immediately seek medical care.

After the bite of an infected animal, Rabies symptoms may take weeks, months, or in some cases, years to appear in humans this is known as the incubation period. Most people will have to pay for the rabies vaccine if it's needed for protection while travelling.

Even if you have been vaccinated, you should still take precautions to avoid coming into contact with rabies if you're travelling in an area where rabies is found, and get medical advice straight away if you have been bitten or scratched.

Some people may need the rabies vaccine because they could come into contact with rabies through their work. Animals can spread the infection if they bite or scratch you or, or in rare cases, if they lick an open wound or their saliva gets into your mouth or eyes.

If you're travelling with a child, make sure they're aware of the dangers and that they should tell you if they have been bitten, scratched or licked by an animal. Public Health England has produced a leaflet with more information about rabies risks for travellers. If this happens while you're abroad, get local medical help immediately. Do not wait until you have returned to the UK.

If you have already returned to the UK without getting medical advice, it's still a good idea to get help, even if it's been several weeks since you were bitten or scratched.

If you have been bitten, scratched or licked by an animal that might have rabies, you may need specialist medical treatment to stop you getting rabies. This is called post-exposure treatment. Be careful of pets that you do not know. And if any animal is acting strangely, call your local animal control officer for help.

Skip directly to search Skip directly to A to Z list Skip directly to site content. Protecting People. Search The CDC. Although dogs are responsible for most rabies cases worldwide, bats are the cause of most rabies deaths in the United States. After the onset of symptoms, a doctor can use tests such as a blood, tissue, or saliva test to help determine whether you have the disease.

Tissue tests include the direct fluorescent antibody DFA test and a biopsy of the neck. However, after being exposed to the rabies virus, you can have a series of injections to prevent an infection from setting in.

Rabies immunoglobulin, which gives you an immediate dose of rabies antibodies to fight the infection, helps to prevent the virus from getting a foothold. Then, getting the rabies vaccine is the key to avoiding the disease.

Animal control will probably try to find the animal that bit you so that it can be tested for rabies. Getting a rabies vaccination as soon as possible after an animal bite is the best way to prevent the infection.

The rabies vaccine is given in a series of five shots over 14 days. Doctors will treat your wound by washing it for at least 15 minutes with soap and water, detergent, or iodine.

This protocol is known as post-exposure prophylaxis. Rabies is a preventable disease. There are simple measures you can take to help keep you from catching rabies:. Domestic animals, like dogs and cats, are responsible for the majority of animal bites. Read more about types of bites, symptoms, and treatments.

Animal bites on your hand and fingers are common, especially from pets like dogs and cats.