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Rabies - yes or no
No question - rabies is a killer, and motorcyclists are an easy target for aggresive dogs, even if they don't have rabies.
I too have been attacked on the Dogbayazit road, it's no joke to have large dogs after you. Almost any mammal can carry rabies, you will find your owen level of trust by observation, but you must assume the worst case first, the shots are a relativly cheap insurance. Peter, in Oslo |
My two pesos worth. I'm an animal lover, write books about animals (one about street dogs in Latin America), pet them, get along well with them. Never bothered with the jab for the Americas. I've never heard of a case of rabies here. However in Asia, Africa, the incidence of rabies is much higher! Getting a vaccination is tough on your body. Choose wisely!
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Thanks especially Lorraine I agree never heard of dog rabies in South America but in eastern Turkey 2 years ago we were warned. I encountered a rabid bull in Costa Rica.
Anyone know how many years the preventive injections are good for? In 1966 I had a series of rabies injections in my stomach as mandated for Peace Corps volunteers serving in Costa Rica. High boots and good throttle have avoided all incoming thus far... I like the flinging of meat aft by pillion. Need a deployment system for those of us who fly solo. Xfiltrate |
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Rabies VERY nasty, I have had the inoculations, and would really recommend you get them, it's not just dogs that can give it to you:
foxes, bats, skunks and coyotes. Wolves, weasels, badgers, mountain lions and other mammals can also have rabies. (even bears but the is extremely rare) Fish, birds and reptiles aren’t mammals, so they can’t carry the disease. |
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yep the monkeys at the Monkey Temple in Kathmandu have a taste for blood!
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I had this dilemma before my trip. I got the rabies jab, never (to my knowledge) got bitten, and came home alive. £150+ is a lot of money but those 24/48 hours might save your life. And rabies is a horrible way to die.
On a more general note (and I'm sorry if this angers anyone) I think we all have a moral responsibilty to take what we can to aid our health. The countries we travel through are (almost always) less well developed than our own and it's OUR choice to go there. Dare I say I think the traveller who doesn't take precautions (and don't kid yourself you CAN afford it) is being selfish. You'll be using scarce resources if you get ill and rely on help. Be it rabies, malaria or anything else if you can afford to go on a trip you can afford to pay for the drugs - and if the drugs weren't available at home I bet you'd be crying out for them to be. Pay the money, protect yourself, have a great trip. |
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It's not 24 hour hour rule as much as not needing that rare, extra shot that the vaccination saves you from... In South America, feral dogs are everywhere. They live on the outskirts of most towns and villages and they just LOVE to chase motorbikes. I was glad of my MX boots when I had to kick my way through a pack of dogs with 2-3 of them trying to nip and my feet. A stern Alpinestars Tech 10 to the face and a twist of the throttle and they give up... Get the shot.... |
did you take it up the rear ?
Research has thrown up something interesting on this. I wonder of the people who have had Rabies Jabs how they were given. It appears there are two methods:
1. Intramuscular - which is jabbed in a muscle somewhere ( like your arm / rear end! ) the most common type and easier to do. 2. Intradermal - this is given under a layer of skin which is very effective, but does take a little more "skill" Also has the advantage of requiring less vaccine, resulting in a considerable cost advantage Both methods require the same "course" ect.... So my question is which method did you have...........and did it work :confused1: ( not expecting any replies to that last bit other than "yes" ) I am planning to seek more professional advice on this before making my decision. But I guess it will depend on what is available in my area. |
I had three injections (HDCV) in 2007. Over a couple of months... Then a booster in 2010.
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2 months ago, I had a single booster (valid 3 years) again intramuscular. My husband was told, however, in another clinic, that the 1007 jabs would still be giving protection and a booster was not necessary. go figure... Was never bitten so until now, I don't know if it works. A blood analysis would reveal it, but it is very expensive (I had to do it to import my dog from Brazil to the UK so I know! $$$$$!) |
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I was sold on the vaccination after I read what Rabies is and how unpleasant and deadly it is to get infected (Rabies - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). And very few countries are Rabies free...
There are very few infections which scare me, Rabies is in every sense nasty. I think we all can agree that it's small price to get the 3 jabs to have a decent chance to survive if bitten by dogs, bats, etc. And just last year I was attached by dogs in Romania, 3 times within 30 km, no fun at all. Casper |
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..actually I can´t right now remember another disease, that is like this. (Won´t let fear ruin my trip, and I like animals, but in most places I do steer well clear from them, because of this possibility). |
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