Rabies from an insect who was eating a dead animal??

[WorryRaptor]

Hey, thanks a lot for answering. I read that insects don't carry it and i get they don't transmit it, but i feel like i am that unlucky person who in some way got rabies and that insects needle was containing rabies saliva and when it bit me, it injected rabies saliva too. But then my logical side says this ain't a movie wake up but then something tells me that something bad is gonna happen and you caught this virus. The only thing worrying me is this bump thing, looks like a pimple thing and i am scared this is where the insect bit me.

Can i ask you a question? What if it was not an insect but a bat?? It was around 6pm and very light and very sunny and hot outside, Could they extend their necks and bite or they have to land on you, cling on you then bite and i should have noticed it biting my arm right??? Thanks again

By the way, i found the picture of that thing and took a picture of the "bite" mark, if you can, take a look, thx
Attachment 5897Attachment 5898Attachment 5899

You seem to be worried about mechanical transmission (like an insect getting it on legs/mouth then biting you) - it's not possible. The rabies virus is incredibly fragile outside the host, and even in the tiny tiny tiny tiny chance (never ever heard of, ever) that a fly walked or fed on the saliva of a dead rabid animal, they simply wouldn't pick up enough of the virus. It needs a certain load to multiply. Think about the millions and millions of flies that are in the world, regularly feeding on dead animals and going off and biting/stinging/annoying people. If it were remotely possible, there would be cases popping up like crazy. That's not happening.

I could explain more why it can't happen, but with this kind of phobia, your brain will immediately want to jump to next scenario where you're the single unlucky person for the impossible to happen to. I have been there, and I know the dread you're feeling.

In short, insects can't carry, transmit, or transport the virus.

You got bitten by a bug, and there's a huge chance that bug was nowhere near the thing in the photo either, not that it would even matter it was. It would have no interest in biting you if it was busy with something dead and rotting. Not to mention that, it's sunny out, so anything with that UV glaring down on it would be as dead as the poor creature that perished on the porch. Bats wouldn't be out flying at that time either. No they can't extend their necks to bit your arm mid flight. Bats just aren't physically designed for that. They would need to land to bite, and you would 100% see them doing it.

Are you currently getting any therapy etc for the OCD?

[WorryRaptor]

Hi Worryraptor - yes I’m a nurse based in the Uk. And you’re correct rabies had been eradicated in the uk minus a few bats. The post exposure treatment we offer is to individuals who were bitten abroad while on holiday

Ahh that makes more sense! Thanks

[ShadowStorm777]

You don't know how much i appreciate you for answering and providing details and telling me that i have to think logically which is very hard to do lately. I hate this anxiety, i look down at my arm now and i see the "bite" mark and i think in 2-3 months, my end will come with rabies, i will have symptoms, etc. This is very tiring. And yes, i am worried about mechanical transmission, just like you mentioned.

At one minute i think hold on, this is just another insect bite, the other time i think a bat was on the tree and it bit me and i did not see it somehow, other time i think hold on, but maybe the insect really had saliva on its needle or somewhere, the other time i look at the bite and see yep that's it, this is gonna cause me trouble later. And yes, you are right, no way of knowing that was the same insect that bit me because i was standing near a tree a few feet away from that thing, so that's that too. When i stop worrying about the insect, i go back to a bat biting me somehow and think this is a bat bite that i did not notice and yes going back and forward, constant battle. I just don't know what to think anymore, i don't want to spend another 2 months waiting to die.
But thank you a lot, seriously you save me a lot of worrying. At the end of the day, i will still be worried for no apparent reason and think i got little left, i don't know, that 0.000001 percent chance gets to me you know, but what can i do, this brain of ours tortures us.

And no I am not getting any therapy as of now, but will try to look into it.
Anyway, thank you again very very much for replying.

[ShadowStorm777]

You seem to be worried about mechanical transmission (like an insect getting it on legs/mouth then biting you) - it's not possible. The rabies virus is incredibly fragile outside the host, and even in the tiny tiny tiny tiny chance (never ever heard of, ever) that a fly walked or fed on the saliva of a dead rabid animal, they simply wouldn't pick up enough of the virus. It needs a certain load to multiply. Think about the millions and millions of flies that are in the world, regularly feeding on dead animals and going off and biting/stinging/annoying people. If it were remotely possible, there would be cases popping up like crazy. That's not happening.

I could explain more why it can't happen, but with this kind of phobia, your brain will immediately want to jump to next scenario where you're the single unlucky person for the impossible to happen to. I have been there, and I know the dread you're feeling.

In short, insects can't carry, transmit, or transport the virus.

You got bitten by a bug, and there's a huge chance that bug was nowhere near the thing in the photo either, not that it would even matter it was. It would have no interest in biting you if it was busy with something dead and rotting. Not to mention that, it's sunny out, so anything with that UV glaring down on it would be as dead as the poor creature that perished on the porch. Bats wouldn't be out flying at that time either. No they can't extend their necks to bit your arm mid flight. Bats just aren't physically designed for that. They would need to land to bite, and you would 100% see them doing it.

Are you currently getting any therapy etc for the OCD?

You don't know how much i appreciate you for answering and providing details and telling me that i have to think logically which is very hard to do lately. I hate this anxiety, i look down at my arm now and i see the "bite" mark and i think in 2-3 months, my end will come with rabies, i will have symptoms, etc. This is very tiring. And yes, i am worried about mechanical transmission, just like you mentioned.

At one minute i think hold on, this is just another insect bite, the other time i think a bat was on the tree and it bit me and i did not see it somehow, other time i think hold on, but maybe the insect really had saliva on its needle or somewhere, the other time i look at the bite and see yep that's it, this is gonna cause me trouble later. And yes, you are right, no way of knowing that was the same insect that bit me because i was standing near a tree a few feet away from that thing, so that's that too. When i stop worrying about the insect, i go back to a bat biting me somehow and think this is a bat bite that i did not notice and yes going back and forward, constant battle. I just don't know what to think anymore, i don't want to spend another 2 months waiting to die.
But thank you a lot, seriously you save me a lot of worrying. At the end of the day, i will still be worried for no apparent reason and think i got little left, i don't know, that 0.000001 percent chance gets to me you know, but what can i do, this brain of ours tortures us.

And no I am not getting any therapy as of now, but will try to look into it.
Anyway, thank you again very very much for replying.

[WorryRaptor]

You don't know how much i appreciate you for answering and providing details and telling me that i have to think logically which is very hard to do lately. I hate this anxiety, i look down at my arm now and i see the "bite" mark and i think in 2-3 months, my end will come with rabies, i will have symptoms, etc. This is very tiring. And yes, i am worried about mechanical transmission, just like you mentioned.

At one minute i think hold on, this is just another insect bite, the other time i think a bat was on the tree and it bit me and i did not see it somehow, other time i think hold on, but maybe the insect really had saliva on its needle or somewhere, the other time i look at the bite and see yep that's it, this is gonna cause me trouble later. And yes, you are right, no way of knowing that was the same insect that bit me because i was standing near a tree a few feet away from that thing, so that's that too. When i stop worrying about the insect, i go back to a bat biting me somehow and think this is a bat bite that i did not notice and yes going back and forward, constant battle. I just don't know what to think anymore, i don't want to spend another 2 months waiting to die.
But thank you a lot, seriously you save me a lot of worrying. At the end of the day, i will still be worried for no apparent reason and think i got little left, i don't know, that 0.000001 percent chance gets to me you know, but what can i do, this brain of ours tortures us.

And no I am not getting any therapy as of now, but will try to look into it.
Anyway, thank you again very very much for replying.

I'd strongly suggest following up with a therapist, you owe that to yourself

I fully understand the feelings you're describing. I've been there, and I was in deep! I still have occasional, mild moments of what if. For example, I currently have two little bite marks on my foot. They're red, round, and scabbed over, only about 4mm apart. They definitely bled at some point. I have no way of identifying what it is, but it's definitely not an insect. My mind, just out of sheer habit at first, jumped to a bat bite. In reality, I probably had some grit in my sock that punched a couple of holes into my skin, or I got it while shaving my legs. I had that sinking feeling of "oh no a bat bit me and went to hide in my house and I'll never find it" and it's an awful state of mind to be in, even if for a moment. I had to resist the momentary urge of posting on here to ask if anybody else had ever had such a mark on their bodies and turned out to be fine, but that's the start of the slippery slope. No amount of reassurance works for long. So I know your pain!

You will be ok. You didn't catch rabies. Your next step is to to put all of your energy into getting therapy so that you can live your life without a cloud hanging over your head.

[ShadowStorm777]

I'd strongly suggest following up with a therapist, you owe that to yourself

I fully understand the feelings you're describing. I've been there, and I was in deep! I still have occasional, mild moments of what if. For example, I currently have two little bite marks on my foot. They're red, round, and scabbed over, only about 4mm apart. They definitely bled at some point. I have no way of identifying what it is, but it's definitely not an insect. My mind, just out of sheer habit at first, jumped to a bat bite. In reality, I probably had some grit in my sock that punched a couple of holes into my skin, or I got it while shaving my legs. I had that sinking feeling of "oh no a bat bit me and went to hide in my house and I'll never find it" and it's an awful state of mind to be in, even if for a moment. I had to resist the momentary urge of posting on here to ask if anybody else had ever had such a mark on their bodies and turned out to be fine, but that's the start of the slippery slope. No amount of reassurance works for long. So I know your pain!

You will be ok. You didn't catch rabies. Your next step is to to put all of your energy into getting therapy so that you can live your life without a cloud hanging over your head.

Got you, well thanks, gotta convince myself somehow that this was just a normal insect bite. The only worrying think for me is the bite mark which is turning into a hard "scab" you can say, or something similar, does not look like a wound though. Anyway, thanks again a lot for answering and i hope nothing bad happens and this bite mark is just an ordinary mark like any other that we have. Thank you

And one more quick question, lets say a bat was not flying rather than on the tree next to me, could it have somehow bit me on my arm from the tree by not being on me without me noticing??? Or that's again my imaginary brain creating this?? Thank you

[WorryRaptor]

And one more quick question, lets say a bat was not flying rather than on the tree next to me, could it have somehow bit me on my arm from the tree by not being on me without me noticing??? Or that's again my imaginary brain creating this?? Thank you

You would have noticed it. 100%. In fact, you're probably going to notice something like more than others, since you're so hyperaware of your own body. Anxiety causes hyper vigilance, so you would absolutely see and feel a bat biting you.

The only worrying think for me is the bite mark which is turning into a hard "scab

Most things scab over on skin. It's just a protective process. I've had horsefly bites that scabbed over. Pimples too.

I really hope you are able to get help for your anxiety. The reassurance you get only provides a temporary balm, and in the long run, will only serve to make the anxiety worse. All it really does is train your brain to jump onto the next fantastical scenario to stay in the anxious zone. All the logical explanations bring a little bit of relief, but then your mind will start searching for a workaround. The more it does that successfully, the harder it is to rationalise when you have a "what if" moment. And that's got to be exhausting for you. The only way to stop this pattern is to get therapy, and/or find and address the cause.

[ShadowStorm777]

Thank you for still responding worryraptor, appreciate it, sorry for taking your time, I understand how tiring it can be to answer the same question again but i gotta ask you one more question. The "bite" mark that again i believe that is the bite mark, it is scarring, like a pimple scar i cant describe it, i cant touch it, nothing happens but it looks like its scarring and its whitish, not hurting or anything, looks like a scar but its roundish and looks like pimplish but does not peel off or you cant get it off like you do on a pimple, would you happen to know what this is or not and if this could be caused by me picking and squeezing it??? I gotta admit the day after the insect bit me i started to squeeze it to see what happens to it, i squeezed that part of my skin hard that day, i remember.
Can this be the reason its scarring because i picked on the spot a lot??? I won't make it more complicating, in short, it looks like its scarring, it is flat on the sides like there is a very small line attached to it and it is with a middle roundish, pimplish. Thanks

Sorry again for taking your time and appreciate it again for answering. And for the last time nothing to worry about right, even if it the insect bit me which it did, no rabies or nothing right, just my mind playing tricks on me again right, no bat was there or any saliva or something on the insect??? Thanks

[Fishmanpa]

With all due respect, its time to get real life help and put this to bed Shadowstorm

FMP

[WorryRaptor]

Shadowstorm, I'll repeat what I said before, because you need to address this anxiety as soon as you can.

The reassurance you get only provides a temporary balm, and in the long run, will only serve to make the anxiety worse. All it really does is train your brain to jump onto the next fantastical scenario to stay in the anxious zone. All the logical explanations bring a little bit of relief, but then your mind will start searching for a workaround. The more it does that successfully, the harder it is to rationalise when you have a "what if" moment. And that's got to be exhausting for you. The only way to stop this pattern is to get therapy, and/or find and address the cause.

Despite me answering your questions previously, your brain has jumped to the next set of variables, exactly like I described. This isn't intended to sound dismissive, just that I have been in this place, and the only way out of it is to stop constantly searching for reassurance, and to seek help for the real problem, which is the state of anxiety you're in.

No amount of reassurance anybody can give is going to help you to get past this. You need to take those steps yourself, and to do that, you need to find a therapist who will work with you on this. Why don't you take some time today to find if there are any therapists locally who deal with ocd phobias, and get the ball rolling on that?