Got scratched by one of my feeders

[mythoughts]

Hi - I feed a family of squirrels. (I know they aren't supposed to live in families, but we have 3 generation family of 6 squirrels in my yard). I've been feeding them for months. One of the 1-2yr old males who appears to be next in line for Alpha male, scratched me today. Occasionally he'll 'bat' at the nut to get it out of my hand rather than taking it with his teeth. Today I pissed him off by petting his head. I've done it a 1,000 times, but today he didn't want me to and so he tried batting the nut from my other hand. He drew blood.

I'm neurotic about medical things, so I called the Dept of Health. They said that it's unlikely that I need a rabies shot and to watch for infection. I had a tetanus shot 2yrs ago. What do you guys think - I'm freaking out.

[farrelli]

Don;t worry at all. Firstly, squirrels almost never, ever, ever carry rabies. You'd sooner get hit by lightening. Secondly, people are getting scratched by squirrels constantly with no harm done. Getting scratched in this way is really no different than if you got scratched by a tree branch. Squirrels are very clean.

[farrelli]

Btw, we're moving into breeding season so lots of them are more than a bit pissy these days.

[stepnstone]

What do you guys think - I'm freaking out.

Needless worry, if that was anywhere a serious problem 99% of
this board would be in crises.

Wait until you get bit, not anymore of a problem...
it just hurts more. :rotfl

[CritterMom]

Gosh, I am trying to remember a day in the last four years that I haven't gotten a scratch of some kind...

The description of being scratched by a bush is the closest approximation. There is nothing on a squirrel's claws that is not also in the dirt, trees, air...they do not carry diseases that pass this way. Usually you wind up with an infection not from whatever cut or scratched you, but from the bacteria that is sitting on the surface of your own skin being driven down into a wound. basically, you usually infect yourself!

So wash the area well and you should be all set!

[TubeDriver]

Hi - I feed a family of squirrels. (I know they aren't supposed to live in families, but we have 3 generation family of 6 squirrels in my yard). I've been feeding them for months. One of the 1-2yr old males who appears to be next in line for Alpha male, scratched me today. Occasionally he'll 'bat' at the nut to get it out of my hand rather than taking it with his teeth. Today I pissed him off by petting his head. I've done it a 1,000 times, but today he didn't want me to and so he tried batting the nut from my other hand. He drew blood.

I'm neurotic about medical things, so I called the Dept of Health. They said that it's unlikely that I need a rabies shot and to watch for infection. I had a tetanus shot 2yrs ago. What do you guys think - I'm freaking out.



You will most likely be fine. Wash the scratch with soap and water, put on some neosporin and a band aid. Your tetanus shot will protect you.


The Public Health Department will tell you the same thing.



If you are really nervous/anxious, just watch this squirrel for the next 10 days. If he is fine after that time then he is not actively shedding Rabies through his saliva and you are safe! If during this time period the squirrel becomes sick with rabies like symptoms, you still have plenty of time for the vaccine.

Hundreds if not thousands of rehabbers have been getting scratched almost daily. There are no recorded cases of squirrel to human rabies transmission. I did a ton of research and was only able to find one single case where this was even suspected.

[Duckman]

Btw, we're moving into breeding season so lots of them are more than a bit pissy these days.

:yeahthat:rofl4:rofl4

[Duckman]

Needless worry, if that was anywhere a serious problem 99% of
this board would be in crises.

Wait until you get bit, not anymore of a problem...
it just hurts more. :rotfl

Listen to these wise words! No truer words have ever been spoken.

I have at least 20 scratches on my body, at any given time, from my squirrels! When I have teen squirrels, about to be released, I can't go a week without being bit. It is part of the job of a rehabber, to bear these wounds. If they were unclean, I would have died many years ago!

[stepnstone]

:shakehead IF a squirrel was infected with rabies by another animal
and even lived from an initial attack, it wouldn't even survive 10 days.
Their immune system can not support the virus.

[TubeDriver]

:shakehead IF a squirrel was infected with rabies by another animal
and even lived from an initial attack, it wouldn't even survive 10 days.
Their immune system can not support the virus.

Exactly my point. If a squirrel is not symptomatic/actively shedding the virus within 10 days after scratching/biting, there can be no way it was contagious when the bite/scratch occurred.

[stepnstone]

Exactly my point. If a squirrel is not symptomatic/actively shedding the virus within 10 days after scratching/biting, there can be no way it was contagious when the bite/scratch occurred.

Your point is confusing... there would be no "within 10 days."
If it even managed to survive such an attack, a rabies bit
squirrel would die within a few hours at most once bitten
and infected with the virus.

[island rehabber]

Needless worry, if that was anywhere a serious problem 99% of
this board would be in crises.....



Actually, I'd go so far as to say that if this was anywhere near a serious problem then 99% of the members of this Board would be DEAD.

:jump

[Duckman]

Actually, I'd go so far as to say that if this was anywhere near a serious problem then 99% of the members of this Board would be DEAD.

:jump

:attention:yeahthat

[TubeDriver]

Your point is confusing... there would be no "within 10 days."
If it even managed to survive such an attack, a rabies bit
squirrel would die within a few hours at most once bitten
and infected with the virus.

I have not been able to find any specific info on the duration of the incubation, prodromal/active phases of the rabies virus in squirrels. With good reason, it probably almost never happens and there certainly has not been any real research in this area.

I just took a worst case scenario using a 10 day window for the prodromal phase. This might be the duration seen in larger mammals (humans, dogs etc). It would probably be much less in a smaller animal like a squirrel.

If we use this 10 day number, any squirrel that is still healthy and without symptoms a full 10 days from the date of a bite/scratch will almost certainly not be contagious. In addition, the incubation period in humans is typically a month or more so this would allow the person who was bitten or scratched enough time to observe the animal and get the rabies vaccine if the animal got sick and/or died.


The OP said they are very "neurotic about health". We can all tell the poster that there is virtually no chance of getting rabies from a squirrel scratch. If the OP feels very anxious and is distressed, I just suggested a way to confirm that rabies is not an issue. I offered this as a way to alleviate their anxiety, so they dont spend the next couple weeks waiting to die from rabies! Observe the animal for a while (you suggested hours while I suggested 10 days), if the animal is fine then rabies has been ruled out.

Tetanus, or bacterial infections are a possibility any time there is a puncture/scratch that draws blood but as others said this is also true if you scratched yourself on a branch or cut yourself shaving.

But this is all moot, because there is almost no chance of getting rabies from a squirrel scratch. We are arguing about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?

[island rehabber]

The rabies virus is transmitted through saliva, not claws. mythoughts has absolutely, positively NOTHING to worry about other than the scratch itself.

[stepnstone]

Actually, I'd go so far as to say that if this was anywhere near a serious problem then 99% of the members of this Board would be DEAD.
:jump

I just stopped short of saying that very thing. :thumbsup
Now excuse me while I go wipe the drool off my mouth... :rolf

[mythoughts]

Thanks so much for the prompt replies guys. I appreciate it. Really. I saw another older post from another poster on the board where the replies were more in line with, "are you stupid? Rabies is fatal - why risk it?" Luckily, 'BJ' is a frequent feeder so I do have the opportunity to keep an eye on him. I do live in the woods so I was nervous that he could have been bitten by a bat, which a squirrel may survive. Many of you deal with wild squirrels and not just pets? Also, we do have skunks, foxes, raccoons and coyotes in the area, so I guess he could've been bitten. That said, I don't see any cuts on him from an animal bite, and I do get within inches of him so I'd likely see something. A bat bite though............I'm just neurotic, and the thought that I could be ok for weeks and then one day not be is terrifying.

[TubeDriver]

Thanks so much for the prompt replies guys. I appreciate it. Really. I saw another older post from another poster on the board where the replies were more in line with, "are you stupid? Rabies is fatal - why risk it?" Luckily, 'BJ' is a frequent feeder so I do have the opportunity to keep an eye on him. I do live in the woods so I was nervous that he could have been bitten by a bat, which a squirrel may survive. Many of you deal with wild squirrels and not just pets? Also, we do have skunks, foxes, raccoons and coyotes in the area, so I guess he could've been bitten. That said, I don't see any cuts on him from an animal bite, and I do get within inches of him so I'd likely see something. A bat bite though............I'm just neurotic, and the thought that I could be ok for weeks and then one day not be is terrifying.

Even in a hypothetical worse case scenario (this squirrel got bit by a rabid bat, survived and then licked his paw while grooming seconds before scratching you) you can observe his behavior to check his status.

The rabies virus ALWAYS travels from the brain through peripheral nerves to the salivary glands. This means that the brain is infected BEFORE the virus is present in the mouth, so behavioral symptoms will be present before and during the contagious stage. Animals and people can have rabies during the incubation period but they are not contagious during these period because there is no virus present in the saliva.

If this squirrel is acting normal (and continues to act normal for the next couple days) then it is not actively infected/shedding the rabies virus and you are fine. :thumbsup

This question comes up all the time. The first time I got scratched by a wild squirrel, I did some research, talked to public health officials and MDs. There is not a single case of squirrel to human rabies transmission in the US although are a surprisingly large number of reported squirrel bites and scratches because humans frequently hand feed squirrels.:grin2

[Scooterzmom]

Even in a hypothetical worse case scenario (this squirrel got bit by a rabid bat, survived and then licked his paw while grooming seconds before scratching you) you can observe his behavior to check his status.

The rabies virus ALWAYS travels from the brain through peripheral nerves to the salivary glands. This means that the brain is infected BEFORE the virus is present in the mouth, so behavioral symptoms will be present before and during the contagious stage. Animals and people can have rabies during the incubation period but they are not contagious during these period because there is no virus present in the saliva.

If this squirrel is acting normal (and continues to act normal for the next couple days) then it is not actively infected/shedding the rabies virus and you are fine. :thumbsup

This question comes up all the time. The first time I got scratched by a wild squirrel, I did some research, talked to public health officials and MDs. There is not a single case of squirrel to human rabies transmission in the US although are a surprisingly large number of reported squirrel bites and scratches because humans frequently hand feed squirrels.:grin2

I, too, spoke to health officials and got the same answers, so I would absolutely not be worried. The one suggestion they did offer was to get my tetanus shot. As a rehabber, or even for anyone who lives in the woods, works outdoors or on a farm, it's just a good precaution since you can always scratch yourself or cut yourself on something or other out there. Teanus shot is no big deal: one shot and you are protected for the next 10 years. I figure it's well worth it.

[Rhapsody]

I live with daily scratches atm --with having seven squirrels spending the Winter with me.
They still have to be let out of their cages for play time and what can say..... I am their
tree of choice to run around on and with that comes scratches and some blood.

I keep a supply of Band-aids, Neosporin and Betadine on hand at all times. :grin2

[stepnstone]

I do live in the woods so I was nervous that he could have been bitten by a bat, which a squirrel may survive.

It may survive the initial bite but for a squirrel, death is imminent.
Even if a squirrel were bitten by a bat it would not survive!
The rabies virus has to be supported in order to be carried and spread.
their immune system simply can not support the rabies virus.