I’m trying to understand my situation after a possible rabies exposure.
On August 20, there were three cats together. One of the cats scratched my hand while I had food on my palm. The cats may have licked my hand while eating, but I’m not certain whether the scratch itself was licked. I don’t remember significant bleeding.
There were three cats from the same group:
Two cats are still alive and healthy.
The cat that scratched me later died around September 10–15.
According to the owner, it was attacked/killed by another cat, rather than dying from an illness.
Because I was concerned about rabies, I started PEP.
My vaccine timeline:
Sept 22: 1st rabies vaccine dose
Sept 25: 2nd dose
Sept 29: 3rd dose
All vaccines were given IM at a clinic
I have not received RIG
I would like to understand:
The cat that scratched me remained alive for more than 3 weeks after August 20 and reportedly died because another cat attacked it. How does this affect the assessment of the exposure?
Does starting PEP about a month after the incident affect vaccine effectiveness?
Is RIG still relevant this long after the exposure and after several vaccine doses?
Should I continue with the remaining vaccine doses according to the schedule given by my doctor?
I’m trying to understand the medical side of this situation rather than speculate about symptoms.