If you’ve had contact with a potentially rabid animal, a suspicious animal, or a case you can’t confirm, you need to get vaccinated and depending on the severity of the case you might need both vaccines and immunoglobulin. The severity has to do with the potential amount of virus that you have been exposed to and the  bite’s location.

But before we get to that stage you need to thoroughly rinse the wound(s), scratch and surrounding skin with water and wash it with abundant soap for about 10 minutes. If possible, scrub with a gauze or brush to scrape off as much of the virus from the site of contact. Remember if there are any wounds, scratches, or loss of continuity of the skin and you enter into contact with the infected saliva, you need to treat it the same way.

Multiple wounds need to be treated at the same time, minimizing the exposure. If you are far from a medical professional, please follow the previous instructions to the best of your abilities. Finally, you need to get vaccinated at the nearest authorized health center. In order to get vaccinated in Colombia, you need to inform the INS (national Institute of Health), this is done with specific form that a qualified healthcare professional needs to fill. You will also need a medical order that dictates the number of vaccines, the frequency and the need or not for immunoglobulin.

When it is determined that a case is severe due to potential amount of virus and the localization of the entry point, immunoglobulin must be administered in the following 72 hours or before day number 3 of the vaccination.

All injections are intramuscular, and the most common site of injection is the buttocks.

If you need our assistance with this matter remember we can be reached at +573052972972.