We had been traveling around Thailand for almost 3 weeks and had an amazing trip. The last few days, we spent in Mae Sa Valley, about 40 km from Chiang Mai (a really lovely place – amidst nature and the mountains). In the evening, we dined at a very small and very local restaurant. We visited there every night and enjoyed the good, inexpensive food and the company, including the company of their sweet dog.
The last evening at the resort was no different from any other evening, and naturally, we wanted to conclude our wonderful stay at the local restaurant. That evening, the dog, who was otherwise sweet and affectionate, was distracted by a cat running around teasing it. As I sat at the table and the dog approached me, I reached out my hand past its head to pat it affectionately. It got startled, snapped at me, and the bite created a small hole in my hand. The bite itself was almost negligible, but the teeth had pierced through the skin. At first, I didn’t think much of it – a small hole of that size usually wouldn’t concern me.
However, Lise insisted that it was important to get it checked out, as she had been bitten by a monkey a few years ago, which also seemed insignificant at the time. Her mother, who lived in Thailand at the time, had said that regardless of the size of the hole, it needed to be examined. The reason being that rabies can transmit as soon as the bite penetrates the skin (through saliva), and there is a significant rabies rate in Thailand. In fact, up to 5% of Thai dogs carry rabies. So, it’s absolutely not a place to take chances.
What the heck is rabies?
Well, not everyone knows what rabies is – in fact, I wasn’t entirely sure how serious rabies is. Rabies is also known as ‘hydrophobia,’ and there are probably more people who have an idea of what that is. Rabies is a viral disease that makes dogs, bats, and other animals sick, aggressive, and eventually kills them. In Denmark, it’s not something we think about much because in recent years, the disease has only been found in bats. The disease spreads through saliva – and can also infect humans.
The disease cannot be cured once symptoms have appeared. It breaks out some time after the bite. The disease ends fatally.
Rabies Vaccine
You don’t typically receive a rabies vaccine before traveling abroad – not even if your journey takes you to Thailand. As mentioned, the disease cannot be cured, but it can be prevented through vaccination, much like other diseases such as typhoid, diphtheria, etc.
The reason for not vaccinating against rabies before travel probably lies in the fact that it takes about three weeks to three months from the time of infection until symptoms begin. In a few rare cases, the incubation period can be several years. In practical terms, if you are bitten, a vaccine (which you should receive as soon as possible after the bite) will be in your system before symptoms typically manifest.
In which countries should you be aware of rabies in dogs?
The most common carriers of rabies are foxes and raccoons. However, in Denmark, it’s primarily bats that carry rabies (thus Denmark is considered a low-risk country). Low risk, however, doesn’t mean that rabies cannot occur, just that there’s a low risk of transmission. Africa and Asia are the two continents where most cases of rabies occur, so be extra vigilant when traveling to these regions.
I highly recommend that you research further about rabies and carriers in the country you’re traveling to. A good place to check the risk of rabies transmission in different countries is on www.gov.uk, which provides a list of risk levels by country.
What did I do after I got bitten?
Okay! Now that enough fear about the disease has probably been instilled. What I did after being bitten by the dog was to call my travel insurance company as soon as I returned to our resort. I received fantastic assistance both from my insurance company and from what is called “SOS.” The insurance company referred me to “SOS,” which was the partner they used in such situations. “SOS” calmly instructed me on what to do, without panic, and they were excellent at following up on the situation.
What to do if you get bitten by a dog in Thailand
Now that I’ve been through the process, let me briefly outline what you should do if you find yourself in a similar situation:
- Contact your insurance company.
- If the insurance company hasn’t provided you with a contact for a doctor or similar, contact “SOS” yourself at +45 7010 5050 (if you are from Denmark).
- Ask a local for the nearest hospital and perhaps ask them to arrange a taxi driver for you. This ensures you get to the right place.
- At the hospital, you will certainly be examined by a doctor and likely also by a nurse (I had my blood pressure taken and was weighed).
- After the doctor cleaned my wound (you may receive an extra injection at the wound for cleansing), I was instructed to receive a shot of medication. I had to pick up the medication elsewhere in the hospital. After getting the medication, I had to wait to receive the shot. However, the wait time was short.
- After the initial visit to the hospital, expect to receive the vaccine at least 2 more times (most likely 4 more times). The vaccines need to be administered at fixed intervals (it’s important to stick to the intervals).
I covered the expenses for transportation, hospital, doctor, medication, and phone calls myself when I was treated, but I got refunded everything when I returned to Denmark. Remember to keep all receipts to be able to get your money back. It can be difficult to get a receipt for a taxi, but try anyway, as the insurance company likely won’t refund without one. For me, it ended up being around 600 DKK for hospital, doctor, and medication, and about 400 DKK for phone calls to the insurance company and SOS. So, around 1,000 DKK for two treatments (I got the last 3 in Denmark) and phone calls.
My final comment is – don’t panic, it will be okay. As long as you remember to get travel insurance beforehand and take precautions regarding your health.
