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Does Licking The Cat's Milk Bowl By An 18-month-old Lead To Rabies Transmission?

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Posted on Sat, 24 Mar 2018
Twitter Sat, 24 Mar 2018 Answered on
Twitter Tue, 18 Apr 2023 Last reviewed on
Question : 10 days back i fed a stray cat by pouring a glass of milk in cats bowl.. im not sure if the glass touched cats bowl or some droplets spilled on the glass.. my daughter who is 18 and half months old exactly after an hour picked the glass from the table and put it in mouth.. what are the possibilities of rabies transmission here. does she need booster dose now? It is exactly 5 months since she received her 4 dose of rabies vaccine in october for another nonbite exposure... this time out of anxiety i took her to my pediatrician and insisted her for a booster dose but she said boosters are recommeneded only after a year and that rabies is not a routine vaccine and there would be many side effects.. as far as i read 2 Booster doses are recommendd after the second exposure right.. am i putting my daughter at risk.. is there a time frame in which boosters are not required for the second exposure.. i know exposure is highly unlikely in my case.. but me being a paranoid mom want to ease my mind by understanding the logic here.. does my daughter who is just 1 and half years old have enough immunity against rabies without a booster?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Sumanth Amperayani (17 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Your daughter does not require further anti Rabies vaccine booster

Detailed Answer:

Hi,

Whatever you are explaining, the scenario does not require any immunization with anti Rabies vaccine. Therefore, the question of a booster dose is not arise here as it is not a contact.

Your pediatrician is right and your daughter does not require boosters of anti rabies vaccines now. Your daughter would have enough immunity to protect against rabies, do not worry.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards,
Dr. Sumanth Amperayani
Pediatrician, Pulmonology
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Sumanth Amperayani (6 minutes later)
Doctor you have already responded to my query few days back clearly in the best possible way but i am getting haunted by the same thing everyday.. i know i need a psychiatrist but please bare with me n answer the following questions: Does she not require a booster beacuse of the kind of exposure where there is no risk of transmission or boosters are not needed within a year for any kinda contact? Would she require a booster if she had been bitten or scratched? What does it mean wen they say transmission through mucous membrane.. saliva getting in eyes and mouth?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Sumanth Amperayani (26 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Suggestions on Rabies

Detailed Answer:

Hi,

1. She does not require boosters for what you have explained as there is no risk of transmission.

2. If she had been bitten by or scratched then she should get two doses one right away and another on the third day. This is after one year of completing the complete course of anti Rabies vaccine.

3. Transmission through saliva and mucous membranes is very well known in rabies.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards,
Dr. Sumanth Amperayani
Pediatrician, Pulmonology
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Sumanth Amperayani (3 hours later)
It means no booster is required within a year for any kind of transmission.. thanks in advance for putting up with my questions.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Sumanth Amperayani (5 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
No need for any boosters

Detailed Answer:

Hi,

No need for any boosters but if the injury is very deep and with large crushing injury type then local infiltration of immunoglobulin will help a lot.

Hope I have answered your query.

Regards,
Dr. Sumanth Amperayani
Pediatrician, Pulmonology
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Arnab Banerjee
doctor
Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Sumanth Amperayani

Pediatrician, Pulmonology

Practicing since :2003

Answered : 8337 Questions

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Does Licking The Cat's Milk Bowl By An 18-month-old Lead To Rabies Transmission?

Brief Answer: Your daughter does not require further anti Rabies vaccine booster Detailed Answer: Hi, Whatever you are explaining, the scenario does not require any immunization with anti Rabies vaccine. Therefore, the question of a booster dose is not arise here as it is not a contact. Your pediatrician is right and your daughter does not require boosters of anti rabies vaccines now. Your daughter would have enough immunity to protect against rabies, do not worry. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. Sumanth Amperayani Pediatrician, Pulmonology