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Monday 08:30 - 17:00 Tuesday 08:30 - 17:30 Wednesday 08:30 - 17:30 Thursday 08:30 - 17:30 Friday 08:30 - 17:30 Saturday 09:30 - 13:00

Karong Clinics Botswana, Plot 334，Ext 334, Gaborone (2026)

15/04/2025

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08/04/2025

Rabies Post-Exposure Management Procedure

04/04/2025

🐕 Everything You Need to Know About Rabies:
Should You Get Vaccinated If Bitten by a Dog? How to Stay Safe
By Dr. Zhang Zhiyong – KARONG CLINICS, Botswana

Nearly 59,000 people die from rabies every year worldwide, with around 95% of cases occurring in Africa and Asia (WHO).
People often ask: What should I do if I’m bitten or scratched by a dog or cat? Should I get the vaccine?

This short article summarizes key facts based on official data from the World Health Organization (WHO):

✅ What is rabies?
✅ When should you get vaccinated?
✅ How to treat wounds (Post-exposure prophylaxis, PEP)
✅ Is the vaccine safe and how is it administered?

✅ What is Rabies?
Rabies is a zoonotic, viral, and tropical disease caused by the rabies virus.
It is transmitted through the saliva of infected animals, typically via bites, scratches, or licking of broken skin or mucous membranes.

📌 Incubation period: usually 1–3 months, but can be longer (even up to a year); no symptoms during this period.
📌 Symptoms after onset: hydrophobia (fear of water), agitation, muscle spasms, confusion. Once symptoms appear, the disease is almost always fatal.

🛑 The only effective treatment is Post-exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) before the virus enters the central nervous system:

Immediate and thorough wound cleaning

A full course of human rabies vaccine

Rabies immune globulin (RIG) if indicated

📌 As of now, WHO has not approved any diagnostic tool to detect rabies infection before the onset of symptoms.

Rabies presents in two clinical forms:

Furious rabies (most common)

Paralytic rabies (about 20%) – often misdiagnosed due to milder symptoms.

📌 Special Case:
In 2004, a 15-year-old girl in Wisconsin, USA, developed symptoms after exposure and was placed in a medically induced coma combined with antiviral therapy. She survived, becoming the first recorded case of survival after symptom onset without prior vaccination.

✅ When Should You Get Vaccinated?
🔹 Pre-exposure vaccination is recommended for high-risk individuals:
Laboratory personnel handling live rabies virus

Veterinarians

Animal shelter or rescue workers

Dog owners whose dogs are not vaccinated

🔹 Post-exposure vaccination is needed after potential exposure to the virus:
Animals that may carry rabies include:

🐕 Dogs, 🐱 Cats, 🐒 Monkeys, 🦇 Bats, 🐺 Jackals, and other wild mammals —
as well as unvaccinated domestic pets

📍 In Botswana, the government collaborates with NGOs to provide free rabies vaccinations for animals in multiple areas (including a known site in Village, Gaborone). Private veterinary clinics also offer paid rabies vaccinations for pets.

✅ How to Handle a Bite or Scratch (PEP)?
🧼 Wash the wound immediately
Use soap and plenty of running water to rinse the wound for at least 15 minutes to remove any saliva residue.

🧴 Disinfect the wound
Apply povidone-iodine or medical alcohol.

🏥 Seek medical attention immediately
In most cases, do not suture the wound. Treatment decisions (vaccine and/or RIG) depend on risk classification.

✅ Is the Rabies Vaccine Safe? How Is It Given?
Yes — rabies vaccines are very safe.
They can be administered to pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, children, and the elderly without concern.

WHO Exposure Categories and PEP Recommendations:
Exposure Category Example Recommended Action
Category I Touching or licking of intact skin Wash only; no vaccine needed
Category II Minor scratches or nibbling without bleeding Wash + Vaccination
Category III Penetrating bite wounds, scratches with bleeding, licking of broken skin or mucous membranes, direct contact with bats Wash + Vaccination + RIG injection
💉 Common Vaccination Schedules:
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP):
3 doses on Day 0, Day 7, and Day 21 or 28

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP):
5 doses on Day 0, Day 3, Day 7, Day 14, and Day 28

📌 In Botswana, RIG (Rabies Immunoglobulin) is not widely available.
But data show that thorough wound cleansing + complete vaccination can lead to over 99% survival, even without RIG.

✅ Final Reminder:
Rabies is deadly — but it is 100% preventable!

✅ Wash ➜ Disinfect ➜ Seek medical help ➜ Get vaccinated
With proper and timely action, lives can be saved.

📢 Share this post with family and friends. Awareness saves lives.

Address

Plot 334，Ext 334
Gaborone

Opening Hours

Monday	08:30 - 17:00
Tuesday	08:30 - 17:30
Wednesday	08:30 - 17:30
Thursday	08:30 - 17:30
Friday	08:30 - 17:30
Saturday	09:30 - 13:00

Telephone

+2673911529

Website

http://www.karongclinics.com/

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