Hi Everyone:
I have health anxiety and OCD, first and foremost, but you have all been so helpful before that I could use the reassurance and discussion.
I volunteer at a wildlife refuge. This refuge doesn’t allow you to “work with” - handle cages or animal, be close to them - if they are a “rabies-vector” species and you aren’t pre-vaccinated for rabies. These species are raccoons, groundhogs, skunks, foxes, etc.
My first day at the shelter, at one point I rinsed some food dishes with water (some with food in them) without gloves. I cannot say when exactly it happened, other than earlier in the day. At some point during the day, I itched my eye without thinking.
Later, I inquired about getting the pre-exposure shot (which I am now). But I am concerned that I may have been infected during hand washing. The leader at the shelter said don’t worry, and two docs (one PhD one md) said don’t worry unless one of the animals at the shelter was rabid at the time.
So my mind has latched on to the possibility that: there is/was a rabid animal at the refuge that no one knew about- I got it’s food bowl to wash - the food bowl, with food still in it, had some saliva - I got the saliva on my hand- i transferednthe virus to myself.
I’m getting the pre-exposure vaccine but this will not stop rabies if I contracted it last week, so I’m freaking out and worried i will die a horrible death soon.
I’m in a really bad place- any help is appreciated.
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