Rabies. I have been bitten by a dog in Juarez.

[Mogy]

This happened last Thurs in the evening. I haven't been given any rabies vaccine.
I was advised by the hotel staff to go see a doctor that they have in all of the Similares Pharmacias here.
The bite wound was cleaned by a very young doctor that was in the office in the evening. He told me that rabies is not a problem in Mexico and the issue was risk of infection so he gave me a prescription for 3 injections of antibiotics, 24 hrs apart. He gave me the first injection and I was on my way.
I didn't think much about it because I was trying to track down my motorcycle which had been stolen and I was a bit preoccupied. After I get my motorcycle back I start to investigate rabies. There is lots of information out there that is conflicting.
I didn't follow the schedule for the antibiotics very closely and just got the third one this morning. The more mature doctor told me that I should have gone to the Center of Health that was not far away and gotten a rabies vaccine shot. It would have been better to do it earlier but I have up to 15 days. Tomorrow it will be open.
There is a paper on the internet put out by the Pan American Health Organization that says that Mexico did not have any cases of rabies in humans that was passed to them by dogs between 2013 and 2016. I mentioned this to the doctor and he told me that there were 3 cases in Chihuahua this year. There is lots of info but it doesn't all agree.
The dog did not appear to be sick and took direction from a shop keeper. I haven't been able to track them down. Holiday weekend.
Should I be worried?
Another graph from the University of Glasgow.
[IMG]https://photos.app.goo.gl/p4HMsi3tkfzUdRHK8
[/IMG]

[Mogy]

I was hoping to just put one graph from a larger report.
I did something wrong. The whole report is here:
https://www.google.com/url?q=https:/...Ziu6_FtIUb31-R

[shu...]

wow, that totally sucks.

I'm not a doctor, but this is what I remember from a dog bite incident involving a friend's dog 30 years ago. I would bet it's still the same.

I think that a Doctor here in the USA would advise you to begin Rabies treatment if either:

- the dog did not have a rabies vaccination;

- the dog could not be found.

By the time Rabies symptoms are observed in a human victim, the usual result is death.

I myself would be talking to a Doctor I trusted immediately. (and looking for a clinic that had the proper injections.)

Buena suerte..................shu

[backofbeyond]

The medics in my family say take it seriously as rabies is 100% fatal in humans. Symptoms can take months to appear and by the time they do it's too late. Even if you don't have it do you want to be wondering for the next year whether every ache or pain or thick head is the beginning of the end.

Mexico isn't one of the world's rabies hot spots but without the dog it's better to be safe than sorry. Don't put it off - hours and certainly days count. The doctor you saw may not be that worried but it isn't his life at risk.

[Tomkat]

UK Govt advice is that Mexico is HIGH RISK for rabies, get the shots now.

https://www.gov.uk/government/public...s-by-country#m

[Mogy]

Thanks for all of the replies.
I went for a shot this morning, first in line, but I found out they don't give rabies shots there. I could get one for Tetanus.
I decided to go talk to the Shoe Repair shop owner who was present when I was bitten. He was not the owner of the dog but he assured me that the dog had been vaccinated. I also saw the dog and it looked fine and healthy.
I returned and met the owners of the dog at 4 PM. They went to look for the Rabies Certificate but they're not very organized, something like me. Couldn't find it. I was assured by the mother that both her dogs have been immunized. She has several kids and will not risk having a dog without it's shots.
At this point I am convinced that the dog does not have rabies. Apparently, a rabid dog can only transmit rabies for the last few days of his life.
From this faq page on the Minnesota Health website:
References, Animal Bites and Rabies Risk - Minnesota Dept. of Health

"What are the signs of rabies in cats (or dogs)? My patient is confining a cat that bit her for a 10 day period following the bite. What signs should she be looking for?
An animal that had rabies virus in its saliva at the time of biting someone would develop severe illness or die within 3 to 4 days of the bite. (The 10-day observation period includes a safety factor.) Signs to watch for include loss of appetite, depression, lameness, fever, and neurologic signs such as behavior changes, vocalization, circling, or seizures. If the cat develops any of these signs the patient should contact her veterinarian immediately. If the cat is alive and well 10 days following the bite, then there was no risk of rabies at the time of the bite."