Rabies fear overwhelming me. Please help! Cat scratch

[Sarahjosephine]

Okay hey guys. So I am travelling the world and I should be totally happy and living in the moment but this obsession of rabies is overwhelming me. I'm from Australia where it is non existent and I am an animal lover and my bf and I have so far been to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, India, Egypt and now Europe, I asked my Dr about vaccines before I left and he said rabies vaccine is unnecessary if not working with animals or in rural areas.

The fear started in India when a stray dog licked my water bottle and I forgot to wipe it before I drank from it and then I began to obsess that I might have gotten rabies so I asked the family we were staying with as the father was a doctor and he said no it wouldn't be possible...

I WAS okay for a while but then obsessed about it again and when I got to Egypt I would wake up thinking I couldn't swallow because of it and of course googled the symptoms. Then I found out most of the dogs in Goa, India have been vaccinated and they have clipped ears when they have been and this dog did so I was okay.

But after this in Egypt we made friends with lots of kitties including a very affectionate grey one which accidentally scratched my foot and it bled a little. I went and washed and disinfected it with alcohol rub straight away but I was so paranoid after this and began to obsess again.

I was even worried about another stray cat that was kneading me that somehow it may have punctured me and I didn't realise. I googled and freaked myself out massively and when we left Egypt I asked the host we stayed with if this is possible and he said no as the grey cat was a house cat and vaccinated but now I'm worried about the street cat that kneaded me as it was a street kitty.

I keep waking up in a panic and feel like I can't swallow as good and like something is stuck in my throat and I woke with a sore throat today. I wish I got vaccinated as it would have eased all this worry...I didn't know how deadly rabies is and if I'm already showing symptoms I am screwed. I've cried over this, I'm in Germany now and I can't relax as the fear overtakes me and my bf doesn't understand and thinks I'm being silly.

It has been 4 weeks since I was in Egypt so I feel like it is too late and I am doomed. The reason I didn't go to the Dr is I thought I was being stupid and I was worried about cost...so stupid of me now and I wish I just went straight to the Dr because it is a lot cheaper in Egypt, we were staying in Giza and I can't find much info on Rabies there. But I know it is in Egypt...

I am so worried guys, is there any reassurance or advice people can give. My anxiety is eating me up and I don't want to die like this...:( I would hate to leave my family and friends from something so stupid that I could have avoided.

Thanks for listening and any reassurance will be highly appreciated x :(

[Fishmanpa]

That sounds like such a great trip and experience. Once in a lifetime IMO. I'm sorry you're struggling and allowing such an irrational fear ruin it for you :( The rabies rabbit hole is a deep one. It's very difficult to offer reassurance on an impossible scenario :shrug:

Hope you feel better soon!

Positive thoughts

[Matilda_H]

Rabies is spread through bites, as the virus lives in fluids like saliva.

Rabies isn't spread via blood, feces or urine and infected animals are infectious in the later stage of rabies, meaning they'd be foaming at the mouth and having seizures and not playfully kneading you.

If you were infected 4 weeks ago (the earliest a person would show symptoms would be 3 weeks after infection) you'd be in an early stage of infection, meaning you'd just feel like you had the flu. Difficulty swallowing is a symptom of advanced rabies infection so you'd also be foaming at the mouth right now if you had rabies. Difficulty swallowing is a HUGE symptom of anxiety.

Try and relax and enjoy your traveling especially now that you're in Europe as rabies is non-existent here.

You say you're in Germany? Go to Bavaria, it's absolutely beautiful. The castles and architecture are so interesting. :)

[Sarahjosephine]

Thanks for your reply... there are a lot of things I've read that contradict that though...I keep googling and making myself worse. I do have a sore throat and I read the swallowing can be early too, I don't know what to do. I know if I have it I am screwed anyway if I am showing symptoms :( :( I am regretting travelling even though it has been amazing and I feel stupid for touching strays. I love animals and didn't think properly about it before hand...

---------- Post added at 04:02 ---------- Previous post was at 03:59 ----------


That sounds like such a great trip and experience. Once in a lifetime IMO. I'm sorry you're struggling and allowing such an irrational fear ruin it for you :( The rabies rabbit hole is a deep one. It's very difficult to offer reassurance on an impossible scenario :shrug:

Hope you feel better soon!

Positive thoughts

It has been amazing except for this. A lot of other people on this site fear it without having even touched an animal so I feel as though my fear is a little more warranted but I know that doesn't make it any better. Do you have any recommendations to stop the worries or other reasons my throat would be feeling so weird?

[Fishmanpa]

Do you have any recommendations to stop the worries or other reasons my throat would be feeling so weird?

Throat issues are a very common anxiety SYMPTOM. (http://www.nomorepanic.co.uk/articles/symptoms#Throat_tighteningChokingSwallowing_proble ms)

FMP

[Matilda_H]

There is always the odd contradictory article that seems to go against what *should* happen in regards to an infection, but the odds of it applying to you are next to nothing. If all it takes to catch rabies is a cat putting it's paws on you or a small cat scratch that was washed quickly with soap then everyone in India and Egypt would be dead.

Your anxiety is controlling how you think. It's not your fault, but the best you can do is to try and forget about it.

[Fishmanpa]

the best you can do is to try and forget about it.

Actually meds and therapy are two more efficient ways to battle the dragon. Reassurance and forgetting don't typically work as evidenced on the forum :lac:

Positive thoughts