For dog or cat bites and scratches, rinse the area with soap and running water for 15 minutes, then get vaccinated on the same day
Once rabies symptoms develop, the fatality rate is nearly 100%, so wound washing and vaccination after a bite are both essential. Alternate soap-water washing with running clean water for 15 minutes, then seek vaccination that day, as early as possible. A bite penetrating the skin or saliva licking broken skin is category III exposure and also requires a passive immunization product. Exposure category depends on the type of contact and severity of exposure.
Washing costs nothing. A full course of rabies vaccine cos…
According to the 2023 guidelines issued by China’s National Disease Control and Prevention Administration and…
Washing costs nothing. A full course of rabies vaccine costs several hundred yuan. For level 3 exposure, additional passive immunization agents (direct injection of ready-made antibodies) must be administered, costing from several hundred to over one thousand yuan. The most expensive part is the delay.
According to the 2023 guidelines issued by China’s National Disease Control and Prevention Administration and Health Commission, “The fatality rate from rabies is practically 100%.” Recommended first aid is “to thoroughly rinse all bite and scratch sites with alternating streams of soap (or another mildly alkaline cleanser) and running water under adequate pressure for roughly 15 minutes.” Nibbling of uncovered skin or scratches without bleeding is category II exposure and requires vaccination. Category III exposures, involving penetrating wounds or licked broken skin, mandate both wound treatment, passive immunization, and full vaccination. The WHO reports that roughly 59,000 people worldwide die from rabies each year, 99% of cases linked to dog bites. The protocol classifies exposure according to the type of contact and the severity of exposure, and states that vaccination after the first exposure should begin as early as possible.
国家疾控局综合司、国家卫生健康委办公厅 (2023). 关于印发狂犬病暴露预防处置工作规范（2023 年版）的通知. https://www.ndcpa.gov.cn/jbkzzx/c100014/common/content/content_1706569159854649344.html ; WHO. 狂犬病 实况报道. https://www.who.int/zh/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies
Open source linkNever skip treatment on the assumption that a pet is vaccinated or well‑tended; guidelines base classification strictly on wound severity, not on the animal’s status. Do not attempt to bandage the wound yourself. The ten‑day observation method may inform whether to discontinue vaccination, but it never negates the need to begin it. The same protocol applies to bites inflicted by wild animals or bats. If you keep a dog, vaccinate it against rabies on schedule and keep it on a leash outside; see Section 8, item 30 (dogs must be leashed).