Don't get bit by a raccoon in Houston

[cannabis_flower]

I had the unfortunate experience of being bitten by a raccoon in Houston last week. It was not a serious bite and I had a tetnus shot last yeare so let the people at the Last Concert Cafe where I was bitten know about it and went home and in the morning I called the City of Houston Animal Control. They told me to call the Texas Department of State Health Services. I talked to Gary Johnson there. He told me that they have not found rabies in raccoons in 30 years in Houston so it was unlikely that the raccoon was rabid.

However, I called my sister who works in the Victoria County Rabies Control and she was hysterical that I should get the shots. I did some more reading and called back and he said to call my doctor and but to have the doctor call him if I decided to get the shots. Well, he called the guy and was again told to not worry.

I called the CDC and they think I should get the shots. So I called back this morning at 8:30 and they have not called me back. It seems like I am getting the runaround.

The way I see it is that it might not be likely to be rabid but rabies is fatal. While the rabies prophalactic has side effects they don't usually include death. This has gotten me really upset. Last night I called around to the hospitals to see if any of them had the prophalactic, Methodist and St. Luke's say they don't carry it and Memorial Herman is out.

Finally, I am able to get the rabies prophylactic and the doctor is giving me the shots tomorrow.

[onestepforward]

1. I'm glad you'll be getting the shots

I remember a few years ago in Houston when someone was bitten by a bat and had to go to 5-6 different hospitals to find one that had the rabies shots. It makes no sense that it is so hard to find! I had a neighbor last year who got a bat in her house and her daughter touched it. She took her to Kelsey Sebold and they luckily had the rabies shots.

I hope all goes well for you!

[cannabis_flower]

5. Well the thing that upset me so much...

was that I was told that because they hadn't had a case of rabies in raccoons in Houston in 30 years it probably wasn't necessary for me to get the shots, so I wasn't going to get them. I called my sister who works for Rabies Control in Victoria and she was pretty upset. She said "do you really want to be worried for 6 months - or according to the literature up to 2 years - that any little twinge or pain in my hand or other symptom might be rabies.

And then I heard that they have had cases as close as Wharton - that's only 54 miles away. And the incidence of serious side effects of the vaccine is less than .000001%.

Because of the advice of the Texas Department of Health Services I waited 6 days to call a doctor(Mon). Then he didn't give me an appointment for another 2 days(Wed), Thursday I went and got the vaccine and he's going to give it to me today. It says in the literature that even though the average incubation is 1 to 4 months that it can be as early as 7 to 14 days. I hope I'm not getting them too late - if the raccoon actually was rabid.

[onestepforward]

11. I understand your frustration.

It was about a week or so until my neighbor's daughter got her shots. Her mom wasn't too worried (she is a nurse) and everything worked out fine in the end. :)

[Downwinder]

2. Can't you just monitor the raccoon to see if it exhibits signs of rabies?? n/t

[cannabis_flower]

6. They didn't catch the raccoon n/t

[cannabis_flower]

7. Also...

raccoons can carry rabies for years before getting sick and can even get rabies and recover.

[WolverineDG]

3. Better to be safe than sorry

:hug:

dg

[sonias]

4. Sorry to hear you have to go through this

I hope all goes well for you.

I agree with you, better to be safe.

:hug:

Sonia

[johncoby2]

8. OK. I am curious

How did you get bit?

[cannabis_flower]

9. No fault of my own...

I went to Last Concert Cafe to see a friend of mine play. They have an outside patio and ate soup, guacamole and chips and salsa. During a break in the first set we were all sitting there talking and I had my hand down by my side and a raccoon came out of nowhere and bit my hand.

I wasn't trying to feed it, pet it or catch it. The epidemiologist said that that happens in Houston several times a month. Raccoons are all over the place.

[Why Syzygy]

14. Sounds like

maybe he was expecting food. He may be used to customers feeding him? If so, that should be discouraged at the establishment.

Best wishes as you go through your treatments. Glad you're hanging out at Denny's and taking care of yourself.

[Baby Snooks]

15. That doesn't sound normal...

I had a friend who adopted a family of raccoons, we lived in an apartment complex that backed up to Buffalo Bayou and there were woods all around us, and while they would eat out of her hand, they shied away from me for the longest time until they got used to me being around when she fed them. Even then they would not take food from me.

Just because they haven't found a raccoon with rabies doesn't mean there aren't any. Given the number of rabid bats they've found in the Houston area the past couple of years, it is reasonable to assume there are also rabid animals as a result. A raccoon just biting you for no reason doesn't sound normal. You were smart to proceed with the immunization.

[cannabis_flower]

dupe

[cannabis_flower]

10. dupe

[AllenVanAllen]

12. May everything go well with your treatment

and may your mind be at peace! It's better to er on the side of caution when dealing with situations such as yours.

[cannabis_flower]

13. I got my first shot yesterday...

or I should say, my first set of shots. From Wikipedia:

In the United States, patients receive one dose of human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) and five doses of rabies vaccine over a twenty-eight day period. One-half the dose of the immunoglobulin is injected in the region of the bite, if possible, with the remainder injected intramuscularly away from the bite. This is much less painful compared with administering the immunoglobulin through the abdominal wall with a large needle, as was done in the past. The first dose of rabies vaccine is given as soon as possible after exposure, with additional doses on days three, seven, fourteen, and twenty-eight after the first. Patients that have previously received pre-exposure vaccination do not receive the immunoglobulin, only the post-exposure vaccinations on day 0 and 3.

In instances when post-exposure prophylaxis is administered as a precaution (e.g. a person wakes up and finds a bat in the room they were sleeping in), it is now mainly given in the gluteal region and deltoid (upper arm). The number of shots delivered to the gluteal area on the first day is determined by weight, and it is not uncommon to require three of these shots. Subsequent shots of the immunoglobulin (to build longer term immunity to rabies) are given to the arm. Recipients of the vaccine have reported that these shots are no more painful than normal shots (such as tetanus boosters)

First they gave me the vaccine because they have to have you wait 30 minutes before you leave. Then I got 1.5cc of the immunoglobulin in my hand - this was the most painful and my left hand is still swollen. I can type ok but I can barely write with a pen. The ones in my upper arm were a piece of cake but there were 4 of them.

Now for the fun part, seeing if there are any side effects. I'm mostly just feeling tired and achy, sort of like the flu. I am at Denny's hanging out because I live by myself and I figure if I had any serious side effects I'd be better off at Denny's where someone could call an ambulance if I passed out or had paralysis. When I am ready to go to sleep then I'll go home as long as I feel ok.

[sonias]

17. Thanks for the update - hang in there

This does not sound pleasant at all.

I would agree with the Baby Snooks above that a raccoon biting you is not "normal" behavior. So it was really a good idea that you started the shots. That coon may be crazy.

Good health to you and a speedy recovery.

Sonia

[onestepforward]

19. I hope you are feeling better today

and got a good night's sleep. This too, will pass. Take good care of yourself and let us know how you are doing :)

[AllenVanAllen]

20. I hope you are feeling better today

Keep us updated on how things go for you.

[cannabis_flower]

22. Well, I was...

but I got my second shot on Monday. Was almost over the effects of the first shot and then I have to take another. Just getting over the first. Felt really tired and achy on Saturday and Sunday and then feeling a little better on Monday and get my next shot. I could barely sleep on Monday night even though I was achy, also a little feverish maybe, or maybe more like just feeling hot without actually having a fever. Thank goodness we are in training and work ended a little early today. Went home and slept for about 2 hours and felt quite a bit better.

On the schedule, next shot Friday. Hopefully, Wednesday I will feel better. I am feeling sleepy and will probably get to bed before midnight tonight. Have to be at work at 8:30am so that will be fine.

[AllenVanAllen]

23. Try to take it easy if you can

and hopefully your system will handle the last round much better.

[luvspeas]

24. You poor sweetheart....

I'm so sorry you have to go through this. I'm sure people have been feeding that bugger. People should not do that (for reasons that are obvious to you). I used to live in Houston in the Heights and we had all kinds of critters in our yard and a gigantic old tree in the backyard. One night I parked in front of the house, and was walking to the front door when 5 (count em) 5 raccoons come charging up the alley toward me. They are big and they are scary. I was terrified. Turned out they were just making their nightly rounds and I just happen to be nearby. They passed by we without any acknowledgment. I was glad.

[Paladin]

16. Whoever Told You Not To Worry Needs To Lose Their Job, Immediately.

All warm-blooded mammals are capable of carrying and transmitting rabies. The fact that there haven't been any raccoon cases in 30 years in Houston (something I seriously doubt) has absolutely nothing to do with it.

And there is no excuse whatsoever for your not being able to get immediate access to rabies treatment. Texas has a long history of dealing with the disease, and the shots ought to be readily available.

Jeez, all this pisses me off. I had a close family relative who had a major role in rabies prevention in Texas. You sure as hell never had a problem getting those shots on his watch, much less state employees telling you not to worry about it.

Best of luck to you. Take heart, rabies transmittal is pretty rare......

[Baby Snooks]

18. Except with bats...

Anyone who finds a bat in their home and is unable to trap it to have it tested should assume it has rabies and assume they have been exposed. Apparently they nip more than nibble and sometimes they nip at your head and you are unware that they have although with bats any contact can prove fatal with regard to rabies.

Animal transmission is rare. But does occur. And no one should take a chance. And that includes with our pets. If you have a cat or a dog that is primarily an outside pet, particularly at night, make sure it gets its annual vaccination. A lot of people assume if they've had their pet vaccinated over a period of time they don't need to bother. They do.

[Paladin]

21. I'm Amazed About How Many People Think Bats Are Benign Creatures.

I find them fascinating, like a lot of people do. But you have to be out of your mind to come in close contact with them under any circumstances which you can control.....