Will I get rabies if bitten by a wolf?

There are many sources of rabies transmission, such as being bitten by dogs, cats, or rats, all of which may cause the spread of rabies. Because there are more and more people with rabies now, and most of the sources of infection come from our lives, the wound may be licked by a dog outside, which may cause rabies, so you must be especially careful about rabies.

1. Source of infection:

As the name suggests, rabies is an infectious disease caused by dogs. This is actually a misunderstanding among people. In fact, animals such as cats and mice can transmit the rabies virus. Animals carrying the rabies virus are the source of infection of the disease. In my country, the main source of rabies is sick dogs, followed by cats, pigs, cattle, horses and other livestock. Wild animals such as bats, raccoons, skunks, wolves, and foxes are the main sources of infection in developed countries and areas where rabies in dogs has been basically controlled.

Generally speaking, rabies patients are not sources of infection and do not cause human-to-human transmission because the amount of virus contained in their saliva is relatively small. Some seemingly healthy dogs or other animals may carry the virus in their saliva and spread rabies.

(II) Transmission routes:

The virus is mainly transmitted through bites, but can also be transmitted through the saliva of infected dogs, invading the mucous membranes and skin through various wounds, scratches, and licks. A few may be infected during the process of slaughtering sick dogs, skinning, and cutting. Cat bites account for about 3%. Cat scratches are extremely rare. Virus-containing aerosols in caves where bats live together can also be transmitted through the respiratory tract. There are reports that corneal transplantation can transmit rabies. Rabies is not transmitted through animal feces, urine, or respiratory tract, and there is no evidence of indirect transmission through objects contaminated by dog ​​saliva. Licking by an animal's tongue will not be contagious unless the skin is broken.

(III) Susceptible population:

The general population is susceptible, and veterinarians and animal keepers are particularly susceptible. The incidence of rabies after a dog bite is 15%-20%. Whether or not a person develops a disease after being bitten by a sick animal is related to the following factors:

① Bite site: The head, face, neck, and fingers are more likely to develop the disease after being bitten;

② The severity of the bite: deep and large wounds have a high incidence rate;

③ Local treatment: Those who clean the wound quickly and thoroughly after being bitten have less chance of getting sick;

④ Those who receive timely, complete and adequate injections of rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin have a low incidence rate;

⑤ Those bitten by people with low immune function or immunodeficiency are more likely to get sick.