Hi I Got A Monkey Bite 7 Days Ago. However

Posted on Sun, 25 Aug 2019

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

Sun, 25 Aug 2019 Answered on

Last reviewed on

Question : Hi
I got a monkey bite 7 days ago. However it wasn't that severe. He bite me with teeth on the area of jeans pocket. So luckily , I got saved due to jeans. But later , I saw there was a scratch on my body.
It was 8 PM in night and since I was traveling, I didn't do any immediate action. Just applied turmeric and oil in night. Then in morning, I got a tetanus shot and later in evening one rabies injection - Rabipur. Same injection on 4th day. From last two days, I am feeling weekness, pain in legs, knees. Should I get some blood tests done. Can this scratch cause rabies. I am very scared.
Please help. I am attaching pic of the scratch.

Thanks
Tanima

Answered by Dr. Dr. Prasad J (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Need not be overly worried about rabies...

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

I went through your details with diligence. Just simple scratches where there is no contact with saliva / body fluids is classified type 1 injury. Such injuries carries least risks of rabies infection. However you did a good job to get vaccinated. If you have any more pending vaccines, you should get it.

I will not be worried about rabies in this situation. The current symptoms of pain and weakness could be due to other reasons probably a common viral infection. I will recommend you drink plenty of fluids and paracetamol tablets (dolo 650) three times a day. If the symptoms are severe or if it persists beyond 2-3 days, you should consider reporting back to the physician for evaluation.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you need clarifications.

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad