How does OCD factor into rabies?
It’s more so “how does rabies factor into OCD?”
And the answer is that it rabies OCD is a form of contamination OCD. And rabies is probably one of the most scary, most well known contaminates out there. And actual education about rabies is notoriously poor, so you hear a whole lot of fear mongering and very little actual facts. So here are the facts:
1. Rabies is 100% preventable if you get a post exposure vaccine.
2. Post exposure vaccines are not scary. I’m telling you this as someone who is afraid of shots. It is the year of our lord 2025, rabies vaccines are not how they used to be.
3. You cannot get rabies from blood, urine, or feces. You can only get rabies from saliva, ocular fluids, and sexual fluids and it must go into an open wound or something.
4. You cannot get rabies from an animal or human who is not rabid. Even if I got bit by a rabid raccoon and then came to bite you, I would not be able to give you rabies. That isn’t how rabies works, you don’t become rabid the moment you get rabies
6. Rabies can take a while (months) to develop. This scares some people, but really it should let you know that if you actually got bit or scratched, you will be fine. Call the health department or call your local wildlife rehabber. They know what’s what for *your* specific area. They might tell you don’t need a shot, they might say you do.
7. If you aren’t a little kid, you will know if a bat bit you. Yes—you can feel it. It hurts. I’ve watched people get bit by bats. I’ve seen bat bites after the fact. Might you sleep through a bat bite? Yes. But you will know the next morning if you see a bat in your room. If you see a bat? Go to the doctor.
8. Rabies is rare in the US, both in humans and in animals. Don’t touch wildlife, but also don’t be afraid going about your daily business that a rabid raccoon snuck into your bedroom at night and French kissed you.
9. The best way to protect yourself against rabies is to keep a respectful distance from all wildlife and stray animals
Hi!! Adding onto this excellent post because my mom is a wildlife rehabilitator, I have OCD (and you bet your ass I've obsessed over rabies), and I've gotten the 4-course meal of rabies shots as well :D
The rabies shots made me feel kinda icky afterward, but they weren't nearly as bad as the covid shots that I get routinely. I'd say they're a little less bad than the flu shot. I felt achy for a day after, but I didn't feel all brain-foggy or hot. YMMV. But, overall, it was fine. The shots themselves were over in seconds and just felt like a teeny tiny pinch.
Technically speaking, you *can* be exposed to rabies if bitten very very shortly before an animal shows definite symptoms. This is why, after a bite, the animal shelter I work at quarantines the offending dog or cat for ten days if they aren't vaccinated. It's state policy. And yes, this extremely-rare-so-rare-I-don't-even-think-there's-a-case-on-record hypothetical situation did indeed plague my mind on multiple occasions. I'm only stating it here so you don't get a nasty surprise and spiral into a panic like I did, when I thought I was in the clear after a bite because the squirrel I escorted out of the grocery store wasn't acting rabid when it bit me...and then I laughed about my little misadventure with my wildlife rehabilitator mom ten days after...and then her eyes got all round and she was like "DAUGHTER. HAVE I TAUGHT YOU NOTHING" and so I got the shots. Because god forbid I die of rabies and embarrass my mother like that
You can ONLY get rabies through MAMMALS. Like OP said, don't bother wild animals unless you absolutely have to. But if you ever move a turtle across the road, you're not gonna get rabies from it. Just wash your hands thoroughly, because you don't want to get salmonella.
