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Help! Rabies infection from Cow licking?
A few days ago my sister was feeding the stray cows and she has a small cut on her finger. The cow while eating the food also licked her hand. The issue is we cannot observe the cow because it was someone else's cow on the road. She searched online and then got paranoid about getting rabies vaccines because apparently cow licks may cause rabies. I have a picture of the cow attached. Does she need vaccine?
If yes how many shots are needed?
Answers (26)
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Rabies Shot not required
TT shot and antiseptic cleaning of the wound absolutely necessary.
Next Steps
Contact me for a chat and maybe we look into this with more history sharing, lifestyle and I can offer a more personalized advice.
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Rabies transmission from cows is extremely rare, and the risk is significantly lower compared to animals like dogs or bats. However, given that the cow’s rabies status is unknown and your sister had an open cut on her hand that came into contact with the cow’s saliva, taking precautions is advisable.
Next Steps
Yes, as a precaution, it is recommended to start the rabies vaccine series in such cases, particularly if the animal cannot be observed for 10 days to rule out rabies symptoms.
Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, so it’s better to err on the side of caution.
If She Has Been Previously Vaccinated Against Rabies:
2 doses of the rabies vaccine (Day 0 and Day 3).
But If She Has NOT Been Vaccinated Before: 4 doses of rabies vaccine.
Health Tips
Wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water immediately.
Apply an antiseptic like povidone-iodine.
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