What are the odds of getting a rabies bite from a dog

Domestic Animals

Cats, dogs and ferrets

If you were bitten by a cat, dog, or ferret that appeared healthy at the time you were bitten, it can be confined by its owner for 10 days and observed. No anti-rabies prophylaxis is needed. No person in the United States has ever contracted rabies from a dog, cat or ferret held in quarantine for 10 days.

If a dog, cat, or ferret appeared ill at the time it bit you or becomes ill during the 10 day quarantine, it should be evaluated by a veterinarian for signs of rabies and you should seek medical advice about the need for anti-rabies prophylaxis.

The quarantine period is a precaution against the remote possibility that an animal may appear healthy, but actually be sick with rabies.

The likelihood of rabies in a domestic animal varies by region; hence, the need for postexposure prophylaxis also varies. In the continental United States, rabies among dogs is reported sporadically in states where there is reported rabies in wildlife.

During 2000-2004, more cats than dogs were reported rabid in the United States. The majority of these cases were associated with spillover infection from raccoons in the eastern United States. The large number of rabies-infected cats might be attributed to fewer cat vaccination laws, fewer leash laws, and the roaming habits of cats.

In many developing countries, dogs are the major vector of rabies; exposures to dogs in such countries represent an increased risk of rabies transmission.

Other domestic animals

In all instances of exposure to other domestic animal species, the local or state health department should be consulted before a decision is made to euthanize and test the animal, or initiate postexposure prophylaxis.

What type of exposure occurred?

Rabies is transmitted only when the virus is introduced into a bite wound, open cuts in skin, or onto mucous membranes such as the mouth or eyes.

Other factors to consider when evaluating a potential rabies exposure include the natural occurence in the area, the biting animals history and current health status (e.g., abnormal behavior, signs of illness), and the potential for the animal to be exposed to rabies (e.g., presence of an unexplained wound or history of exposure to a rabid animal).

A currently vaccinated dog, cat, or ferret is unlikely to become infected with rabies.

When an exposure has occurred, the likelihood of rabies infection varies with the nature and extent of that exposure. Under most circumstances, two categories of exposure bite and nonbite should be considered.

Bite

Any penetration of the skin by teeth constitutes a bite exposure. All bites, regardless of body site, represent a potential risk of rabies transmission, but that risk varies with the species of biting animal, the anatomic site of the bite, and the severity of the wound.

Bites by some animals, such as bats, can inflict minor injury and thus be difficult to detect.

Was the bite from a provoked or an unprovoked attack? Bites inflicted on a person attempting to feed or handle an apparently healthy animal should generally be regarded as provoked. If it was an unprovoked attack, thats more likely to indicate that the animal is rabid.

Nonbite

The contamination of open wounds, abrasions, mucous membranes, or theoretically, scratches (potentially contaminated with infectious material from a rabid animal) constitutes a nonbite exposure.

Nonbite exposures from terrestrial animals rarely cause rabies. However, occasional reports of rabies transmission by nonbite exposures suggest that such exposures should be evaluated for possible postexposure prophylaxis administration.

Other contact by itself, such as petting a rabid animal and contact with blood, urine, or feces of a rabid animal, does not constitute an exposure and is not an indication for postexposure vaccination.

Dog Bite Rabies Risk

There are 4.5 million dog bites each year in the United States. Dog bites can cause serious medical problems,ranging from mild skin irritations to infections and even rabies. Loweryour risk of getting rabies by knowing what to do if youre bitten by adog.

How Rabies Affects the Body Following Dog Bites

Rabies is a viral disease that occurs in warm blooded animals.If you are bitten by a rabid animal, this disease will affect your central nervous system. The virus will travel through the peripheral nerves and cause swelling and inflammation of the brain. This disease affects children more quickly because the distance to the brain is shorter for them. When the disease reaches the central nervous system, symptoms become more noticeable. At that point, treatment is ineffective. Death occurs quickly, usually within a few days.

Symptoms of Rabies after Dog Bites

Shortly after being bitten, you may experience flu like symptoms. As the disease reaches your central nervous system, more serious symptoms become present such as:

• Mental instability, such as anxiety and excitability
• Drooling
• Convulsions
• Loss of feeling and muscle control

Dogs that have rabies may appear normal in the early stages of the disease. As the disease progresses, they begin to act out, snapping and biting at their owners. Dogs may appear calm at times with saliva dripping from their mouth, and then suddenly attack. Each animal is unique and may react differently.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Rabies in Humans and Dogs

If you are bitten by a dog, immediately clean the area thoroughly with soap and water. This is the first step in treatment and will help get rid of bacteria on the wound. The doctor will also clean your wound and eliminate any additional objects. If rabies is suspected, your saliva, spinal fluid, skin and hair follicles may be tested and you willreceive a series of shots over a 28 day period. Human immunoglobulin treatment will also be given the day the bite occurs.

The suspected dog will either be euthanized or confined for several months for observation. Two samples of brain tissue will be taken from the dog to confirm rabies.

Risk and Prevention of Dog Bites and Rabies

Although rabies can be contracted in several ways, bites are the mostcommon method. Most people are bitten by animals that are owned by their family or neighbors. In most states, it is mandatory to have pets immunized for rabies. The majority of dog bites in the United States arenot serious and can be treated. Ninety percent of rabies cases come from bats, raccoons, and other wild animals. About 18,000 people get shots because of suspected rabies exposure each year. Only two or three human deaths from rabies occur each year in the United States.

To prevent pets from contracting rabies:

• Keep them in a fenced in area or pen
• Take them to the vet regularly
• Make sure they are current on all immunizations
• If you think your pet has been scratched or bitten by a wild animal, get them to the vet immediately

Will I Get Rabies From A Dog Bite?

While infection is the biggest concern after a dog bite, rabies is also something of which you must be aware. Still, you need to know that the chances of getting rabies from a bite are low.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes most dogs have vaccinationsagainst rabiesand have not had exposure. But there is still a protocol that officials will follow just to be safe because rabies causes a severe sickness.

Quarantine and signs

The animal that bites you will usually go into quarantine to watch for signs of rabies. This period typically lasts about 10 days, depending on local law. Most dogs will be free of the disease. The only time for real concern is when a dog is sick or it is a stray dog whose medical background is unknown. In those situations, you may need to seek further medical care.

Preventative care

If there is a chance the dog has rabies, then you will need to go through a vaccination series against the disease. Typically, this will happen if there is a good reason to think the dog may be ill. If rabies is prevalent in your area, for example, and you have no idea of the dogs vaccination history, then your health care provider may recommend the shot series.

If the animal is in quarantine and you are fairly certain it is healthy, there is generally no need to get the vaccines.

In general, dogs are not a huge rabies risk. You are more likely to contract it from a cat or other type of animal. Still, it is important to seek medical care after a bite to ward off any potential infections or other issues. Talk to a personal injury lawyer for help with a dog bite.

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Rabies is a disease so mythologized in popular culture, yet so rare in contemporary society that it can be easy to forget that it exists. However, rabies remains one of the most fatal diseases in the world, and transmission via animal bites is often the most common cause of an individual contracting the disease. Although suffering personal injury from a non-rabid dog is often reason enough to pursue litigation to recover compensation for damages incurred, the consequences of contracting rabies are catastrophic. Being bit by a rabid dog presents unique challenges and a more pressing need to employ the services of an experienced personal injury attorney. Read on for what Illinois residents should know about dog bites and rabies.

Understanding Rabies

What is rabies?

Rabies is a viral disease that attacks the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). Mammals such as dogs and humans are the only species that can contract rabies. Cases of rabies in contemporary society are rare. According to the CDC, rabies cases have been on a steady decline for decades and only 1 to 3 cases are reported every year now, thanks to improved animal control. However, although it is extremely rare, the risk of rabies is extremely high. This disease has the highest mortality rate on earth, with 99.9 percent of cases proving fatal.

How is rabies spread?

Rabies spreads through saliva, which means that most often the virus is contracted from a bite wound suffered from an infected animal. When a bite penetrates the skin, the rabies virus can enter the bloodstream. Someone with an open wound can also contract the rabies virus if an infected animal licks the wound, spreading their saliva onto the injured person.

Who spreads rabies?

Rabies is more commonly found in wild animals such as skunks, bats, raccoons, and foxes. Domestic animals such as dogs and cats are often required to have a rabies vaccination, which makes the animal immune to the rabies virus. Pets or stray dogs who have not had an immunization are at risk for contracting the virus if they come into contact with an infected animal, and therefore a public health risk. These vaccinations are the best rabies prevention strategy out there.

How do I tell if a dog has rabies?

When a dog is bit by another animal, it is important to pay close attention to their behavior. Signs of potential rabies infection include a quick behavior change towards restlessness, irritability, and aggression. One uncommonly cited symptom is an uncharacteristic level of affection shown by the animal. Domestic dogs that are normally excited and personable may very quickly begin to appear relaxed and uninterested.

Physical signs of rabies in dogs that accompany a sudden behavior change include fever, difficulty swallowing, constant drooling, staggering/loss of balance, seizures, and even paralysis of the legs and neck. As the virus progresses it can cause sensory overstimulation, meaning the dog is likely to seek out dark and quiet places.

What should I do if I was bitten by a dog who might have rabies?

Rabies symptoms are not immediately apparent in animals after a bite incident. Most cases of rabies in dogs have a 21-80 day incubation period after initial exposure. Rabies cannot be treated once symptoms appear, so it is important to contact your doctor immediately after suffering a bite from a rabid animal. If your dog was bitten by an animal who may have rabies, contact a veterinarian immediately.

Do dog bites cause rabies?

To answer the question presented in the title of this article, dog bites in and of themselves do not cause rabies. However, when a person is bitten by a dog that already has rabies or the virus otherwise comes into contact with a healthy persons bloodstream, it is possible to contract the deadly disease. Therefore, is it important for dog bite victims to seek medical care as soon as possible following a possible rabies transmission.

Treating Rabies in Humans

When an individual is bitten by a rabid dog, it is critical that they seek medical attention immediately. Treatment begins by inspecting and cleaning the bite wound. The physician will then likely begin a procedure known as postexposure prophylaxis (PEP). This procedure consists of administering a dose of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) and a rabies vaccine given on the day of exposure, followed by a dose of vaccine given on days 3, 7, and 14. If people were previously vaccinated against rabies, they will receive only the vaccine.

Physicians will also tend to any other injuries suffered due to the dog bite, such as nerve or tendon lacerations or other infections. A tetanus shot may also be given to bite victims if they have not had one in over 10 years. Antibiotics and other treatments may be recommended by the doctor as well.

Depending on the dog bite victims level and access to health insurance coverage, the intervention and treatment involved in addressing rabies mitigation may or may not be covered. When it is not, a dog bite victim may be facing a significant financial burden that further necessitates the importance of discussing litigation with an experienced local personal injury attorney.

Understanding Dog Bite Laws in Illinois

When it comes to personal injury cases involving dog bites, Illinois state law abides by a doctrine of liability determination commonly referred to as strict liability. Under these statutes, the owner of the dog is often deemed liable for all damages incurred by the bite victim, provided that the victim was peacefully conducting himself or herself in a place where they were legally allowed to be and they were not attempting to provoke or attack the dog or owner in any way.

The nature of the states dog bite liability laws means that dog owners are typically liable for any injuries their dog causes to another person, even if the owner took all reasonable precautions in the moments leading up to the bite. As long as the dog bite victim was not trespassing or antagonizing the dog, they are likely to be eligible to receive financial compensation for expenses and damages incurred as a result if they elect to pursue civil litigation against the dog owner.

Damages Available to Dog Bite Victims

After suffering personal injury from a dog bite, victims are likely going to want to know their options for recovering compensation for damages incurred. Personal injury courts award two different types of damages in dog bite cases: compensatory damages and punitive damages.

Compensatory damages are the kind of financial compensation that dog bite victims commonly imagine when they discuss the litigation process with their personal injury attorney. This type of court-appointed award is meant to compensate the dog bite victim for any expenses they have realized as a result of the dog bite. This often includes the costs of medical care, lost wages from time taken off work including potential future losses of income, pain and suffering, and quality of life changes that may inhibit the individual from returning to the same level of functioning that they knew before the incident.

Punitive damages are the other common type of compensation awarded by civil personal injury courts. Punitive damages are meant to punish the dog owner in cases where their negligence is clearly reckless and dangerous. Punitive damages are not awarded in every personal injury case, but reserved only for those cases where gross levels of negligence are apparent.

In cases where a dog owner knew their dog had rabies but failed to take the proper steps to mitigate the situation, this level of negligence is likely to warrant courts to award punitive damages as well as compensatory damages. Due to the high mortality rate of rabies and the need for immediate intervention, a dog owner failing to properly handle the situation could easily be construed as grossly negligent in the eyes of a personal injury court.

Statute of Limitations for Dog Bite Cases in Illinois

When someone is bit by a dog that has rabies, the initial trauma of the experience combined with the need for extensive medical treatment can take priority over navigating the legal processes involved in pursuing litigation against the dog owner. Dog bite victims in Illinois should nevertheless be aware of the statute of limitations for filing a case with the states civil courts.

In Illinois, the statute of limitations for dog bite cases is generally two years from the date of the bite or other injury. A minor will have until her 20th birthday. As always, consultation with an experienced local personal injury attorney is the best course of action to review how prospective plaintiffs should proceed.

Getting Professional Legal Counsel

Suffering personal injury from a rabid dog bite presents unique challenges for both the plaintiff and their legal team. For years, the attorneys at Palermo Law Group have been helping dog bite victims in Oak Brook and throughout Chicagoland as they navigate the process of pursuing litigation to recover monetary compensation for their injuries. Contact Palermo Law Group today to discuss your case and receive expert consultation on how to proceed.