Can You Contract Rabies from a Cat Scratch?

Update Date: 2024-06-27 Source: Network

Both cats and kittens may potentially carry rabies virus. Therefore, being scratched by a cat may lead to a rabies infection, which can cause rabies disease. It is crucial to receive a rabies vaccination promptly after being scratched by a cat.

In case of being scratched by a cat, it is necessary to promptly treat the wound. The wound should be thoroughly washed with 20% soap water or 0.1% benzalkonium bromide solution. Then, the wound should be disinfected with 2% iodine or 75% alcohol. The wound should not be sutured or bandaged to facilitate drainage of blood. After the above treatment, a rabies vaccination should be administered within 24 hours. The vaccination schedule typically involves five shots at days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28. After completing the full vaccination series, sufficient rabies antibodies will be produced in the body, effectively preventing rabies infection.

The symptoms of rabies vary depending on the stage of the disease. Before the onset of excitement, most patients may experience low fever, loss of appetite, nausea, headache, fatigue, and general discomfort, similar to the symptoms of a "cold". Subsequently, they may develop feelings of fear and anxiety, and become sensitive to sound, light, wind, and pain. There may also be a feeling of throat constriction. An early diagnostic sign is abnormal sensations around the wound, including numbness, itching, pain, and a crawling sensation, which are caused by the virus stimulating neurons during replication and may last for 2 to 4 days.

As the patient gradually enters a state of high excitement, symptoms may include extreme fear, hydrophobia, photophobia, episodic spasms of the pharyngeal muscles, difficulty breathing, difficulty urinating and defecating, and excessive sweating and salivation. In the paralysis stage, spasms stop and the patient gradually becomes calm, but delayed paralysis may occur, particularly affecting the limbs. The eye muscles, facial muscles, and masticatory muscles may also be affected, resulting in symptoms such as strabismus, oculomotor dysfunction, mandibular drooping, inability to close the mouth, and lack of facial expression.