Rabies exposure is defined as being bitten, scratched, licked, or damaged skin by a rabies dog, suspected rabies dog, or a host animal that cannot determine whether it has rabies, or open wounds or direct contact with mucous membranes that may contain rabies virus. Saliva or tissue. Rabies exposure is divided into three levels according to the mode of exposure and the degree of exposure, and the exposure level determines the corresponding post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) measures.

PEPInitiation should be based on a risk assessment, and professional medical advice should be sought when exposed to suspected, probable or confirmed rabid animals or when there is doubt about the factors causing exposure. This article excerpts from the Vaccine (No.7Version)^[1]The guidelines for post-exposure prevention of rabies in the United States and the World Health Organization's recommendations for post-exposure prevention of human rabies hope to answer some of the public's questions about the risk of rabies exposure: ：

(1）Does the bite or abrasion damage the patient's skin or contaminate the mucous membranes?If not, no real exposure has occurred. Exposure does not occur when seeing or touching a rabid animal. The estimated risk of developing rabies after being bitten by a rabid animal is5%To80%, and the risk of being scratched is much lower (0.1%~1%), the risk of rabies after mucosal exposure is extremely low.

Prompt: First, carefully observe the exposed skin with the naked eye.Whether the skin is damaged or not; When it is difficult to judge by naked eyes, alcohol can be used to wipe the exposed place. If there is pain, it indicates that the skin is damaged (this method is only suitable for testing at the time of injury)^[2]。

(2）If bitten by a dog or cat, has rabies in a domestic animal been found in the particular area?Many parts of the world, including Oceania, Antarctica and the United Kingdom, are free of rabies. In many U.S. cities, even stray animals are less likely to get rabies.

PromptIn many large Asian countries (such as China), most countries in Africa and the Soviet Union, and parts of South America, there are still a considerable number of domestic animal rabies.                                            

(3）Has the dog or cat been vaccinated against rabies?Immunization can reduce the risk of disease, but it is not completely risk-free. The immune status of a pet cannot be judged on the basis of appearance. There should be a record of at least two immunizations with an effective vaccine; one dose of inactivated vaccine is not sufficient to ensure the effectiveness of immunization, especially in recent30In the case of immunization within days.

Prompt: Animals are not vaccinated against rabies100%The production of rabies protective antibodies, vaccine type, vaccine quality, individual factors, etc. will affect the immune effect, and the antibody level will decay over time.^{[3, 4]}。

(2）Is the biting animal a family dog or cat and can it be observed?If so, it can be delayed in low-risk areas.PEP. However, in areas where rabies is endemic, immediate immunization is recommended even if the domestic animal behaves normally, because the incubation period for human onset is short and it is often difficult to determine whether a biting animal has rabies.