Rabies Postexposure Prophylaxis
Animal Type | Evaluation and Disposition of Animal | Postexposure Prophylaxis* |
|---|---|---|
Skunks, raccoons, bats,† foxes, and most other carnivores | Regarded as rabid unless proved negative by laboratory tests‡ | |
Dogs, cats, and ferrets | Healthy and available for 10 days of observation | Do not begin immunoprophylaxis unless animal develops symptoms of rabies.§ |
Unknown (escaped) | Consult public health officials.¶ | |
Rabid or suspected rabid | Vaccinate immediately. | |
Livestock, small rodents (eg, squirrels, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, chipmunks, rats, mice), lagomorphs (rabbits, hares), large rodents (eg, woodchucks, beavers), and other mammals | Considered individually | Consult public health officials. Immunoprophylaxis is almost never required for bites of squirrels, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, chipmunks, rats, mice, other small rodents, or lagomorphs. |
* Clean all bites immediately with soap and water. | ||
† Because detecting bat bites is difficult, vaccination is indicated if a bite is reasonably likely, as when a person awakens with a bat in the room or a young child is found with a bat. | ||
‡ The animal should be euthanized and tested as soon as possible. Holding for observation is not recommended. Vaccine is stopped if rabies immunofluorescence tests of the animal are negative. Offspring from matings between wild animals and domestic dogs or cats are considered wild animals, and euthanasia and rabies testing is considered the safest approach. An exception may be animals described as wolf-dogs, which may be dogs; in such cases, consulting public health officials before euthanizing and testing the animal is recommended. | ||
¶ If expert consultation is not available locally and rabies is possible, immediate vaccination should be considered. | ||
Adapted from Human Rabies Prevention — United States, 2008 Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 57(RR03):1–26,28, 2008. | ||