I went to the hospital cause I was bitten by a cat and I felt like I had the flu. So they gave me a little pill for it now I feel fine. So can cats carry rabies or not?? ( I live in Utah)
Cats can certainly have rabies, as can all mammals. Using the term "carry" is likely to cause confusion, because it implies they are infected but don't have the disease, and rabies doesn't really work like that. An animal can be infected and capable of passing on the virus, but not yet showing any symptoms. There's a small incubation period where that's true.
The only cure for rabies is a vaccine. As usual, Sisyphus's frothing ranting is uninformed, despite the fact that I have explained this to him several times before. Rabies is unusual in that it CAN be cured by receiving the vaccine post-exposure. I can't imagine what pill you were given, but it had nothing to do with rabies. He IS correct that feeling like you had the flu would not be caused by a rabies infection.
Now, all that said, rabies in domestic pets is very rare, and unless there was real reason to suspect that the animal that bit you was rabid, it is unlikely that a doctor would feel it necessary to vaccinate you. If the cat had had its shots, there is essentially zero chance that it had rabies.
I say flow to the surgeon now or as quickly as obtainable, cats do carry rabies. Vaccinated or no longer animals carry some forms of micro organism or something of that way interior the saliva which would be risky or from time to time deadly to us human beings. Get it checked. that's extra useful to be secure than sorry.
Comments
NO.
ONLY rabid mammals "carry" rabies.
Any mammal can be infected w/the rabies virus. Vaccines PREVENT(not "cure") viruses.
"...A little pill..." does NOTHING for rabies.
Flu-like symptoms do NOT indicate rabies.
Cats can certainly have rabies, as can all mammals. Using the term "carry" is likely to cause confusion, because it implies they are infected but don't have the disease, and rabies doesn't really work like that. An animal can be infected and capable of passing on the virus, but not yet showing any symptoms. There's a small incubation period where that's true.
The only cure for rabies is a vaccine. As usual, Sisyphus's frothing ranting is uninformed, despite the fact that I have explained this to him several times before. Rabies is unusual in that it CAN be cured by receiving the vaccine post-exposure. I can't imagine what pill you were given, but it had nothing to do with rabies. He IS correct that feeling like you had the flu would not be caused by a rabies infection.
Now, all that said, rabies in domestic pets is very rare, and unless there was real reason to suspect that the animal that bit you was rabid, it is unlikely that a doctor would feel it necessary to vaccinate you. If the cat had had its shots, there is essentially zero chance that it had rabies.
I say flow to the surgeon now or as quickly as obtainable, cats do carry rabies. Vaccinated or no longer animals carry some forms of micro organism or something of that way interior the saliva which would be risky or from time to time deadly to us human beings. Get it checked. that's extra useful to be secure than sorry.
Cats are very sussebtable to infection with rabies virus, but they have never being known as carriers.
Yes cats can have rabies but don't know if they are carrier.