Hi Doctor, I Was Bitten By A Rat Yesterday At

Posted on Wed, 20 Nov 2019

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 Answered on

Last reviewed on

Question : Hi Doctor,

I was bitten by a rat yesterday at my home. I had caught a rat and was going to throw him outside. This is when he bit me. As a precautionary measure, I have taken the Tetanus vaccine. Is it enough or do I need to do something more? I am worried, please suggest.

Answered by Dr. Diptanshu Das (47 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Not enough, rabies vaccine needed

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for using the Ask a Doctor service.

I have gone through your query and understand your concern. Taking a tetanus shot is not going to be enough. You need to take a full course of anti-rabies vaccines since rats can also transmit rabies which is lethal in humans.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Nagamani Ng