Should I Get a Shot After Being Bitten by a Rabbit?

Generally, there is no need to get rabies vaccination after being bitten by a rabbit. Although theoretically, being bitten by a mammal may lead to rabies virus infection, there has been no report of virus infection after being bitten by a rabbit. However, if one is bitten or scratched by animals such as cats, dogs, or some wild animals, including house mice or squirrels, rabies vaccination is required.

Generally, there is no need to get rabies vaccination after being bitten by a rabbit. Theoretically, all mammals can be infected with rabies and can spread rabies. Rabbits can indeed be infected with rabies and spread rabies. Initially, the rabies vaccine was obtained through experiments on rabbits to obtain the rabies virus strain and then the rabies vaccine. However, in reality, rabbits rarely have the opportunity to be infected with rabies, and even less to spread rabies to humans.

Dogs, cats, pigs, cows, horses, and other wild carnivores, as well as squirrels and house mice, can all carry the rabies virus. Rabies, also known as hydrophobia, is an acute zoonotic infectious disease caused by the rabies virus. People are mostly infected by being bitten by sick animals, and can also be infected by contaminated saliva contaminating various wound membranes and even conjunctivas.