With few exceptions, rabies cannot be cured. So treatment is important to prevent an infection from developing following an animal bite. Rabies is most often transmitted through bites from domestic and wild animals, including cats, dogs, bats, foxes, ferrets, rabbits and coyotes. Symptoms --- among them fever, headache, anxiety, insomnia and difficulty swallowing --- usually are not evident until days before death. The incubation period can be up to a year.
Vaccination
If you live in an area where it is possible you may be bitten by a wild animal or will be traveling to a country where rabies is common, you may want to consider a vaccination.
Cleaning the Wound
If you have been bitten, immediately clean the wound, as this could wash away any virus before infection takes hold. Soap and water or a diluted water-povidone-iodine solution could significantly reduce the risk of rabies infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Testing the Animal
Testing the animal that bit you is the ideal next step. If you can determine the animal is rabies-free, then you won't have to undergo a series of shots. Animals are generally observed for 10 days for signs of rabies. Tests for the disease can also be conducted on a deceased animal's brain.
Antibodies Shot
If the animal cannot be found and tested for rabies, then it is generally recommended you undergo the series of shots to be safe. The first shot, given immediately, contains rabies virus antibodies and helps to prevent an infection before the body can build up immunity through the subsequent shots.
Series of Shots
The next phase in the series of six rabies shots is five additional injections in your arm over a 28-day period.
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