rabies

[hellagood1987]

Greetings,
2 months ago my dog had a fight with some animal during night(I do not know witch). I usually get up first for work. I went out and I saw some blood on the floor around my dog who was sleeping. I carefully came close to check him out. Then I saw that the blood is not all from him. He is white and I saw two bite marks on his back and neck. During that time I did not touch him.Only contact was when after looking, when I carefully parted fur at the biting places. I did not felt that it was wet. And that lasted only a minute or so.After that I patted him at the head 2-times, and I went for work.After that I did not wash my hands, because that contact lasted only for a minute.Now after 2 months they decided to give me Post exposure shoots with rabipur.They found antibodyes and they say that that is from  I was 1995 vaccinated vith Rabivac( 2 shoots and hrig) because I was bitten by rotweiler on the face: the dog remaend well after 14 days
Could I have antibodies after 17 years ??:I am conserned by three things.
1. Is it possible that I have been infected by all written above
2. If yes, would the shoots protect me after 2 months or is it too late??
3. what is the possebility that I have rabies by this non-bite exposure Is it 100% or 50% that I got it?I am confused and scared, and can not find any data or statistics of cases of people that have been infected by this kind of way.

I did touched the dogs fur on biting spots. Just for a half-one minute with tips of my fingers.
I receved at day 0 two shoots 2ml of rabipur vaccine packed in green box.
Week ago Friday they gave me one dose 1ml of rabipur.
Now  I will get the last dose of vaccine.

Now I am scared of few things.
Is this vaccine safe?? This one Rabipur in green pack.
Is this vaccine schedule ok or it is not.
Can I get Rabies from this vaccine or not?If something happens combined with thyroiditis  that I have?Can I infect someone durring my vaccination with rabies? Like my husband or my son And finaly can something happen to me by vaccination combined with thyroiditis or vaccine itself

I am so confused and have a really weird situation: Please help me with some info so I do not have to be so scared:

Thank you Helen

[hellagood1987]

Thank you for your answer, it did calmed me down a little bit. The thing is that I touched on biting spots where could be some of saliva from animal that bite my dog. I do not know witch animal was .. we were sleeping.
Thank God that I could have antibodies from previous vaccination. I tought I was getting simptomatic. I am well now have no symptoms.. They say that is late to vaccinate when symptoms show.
now has two and half months passed from contact.
I was getting twoo shoots at day O and 7 day one and at day 21 last one.
I hope I am going to be ok.
I was and still an so scared
Thanks again for your answer

[mkh9]

Firstly, sorry you  were bitten by a dog previously. There are way too many people who are not responsible pet owners and should vaccinate their animals. As for the previous vaccination yes you could still have antibodies after all this time. i don't know if it would be adequate to control getting rabies at this stage of your life. But the good news is that even if you got blood on your finger it is not a way to get rabies. To get rabies you have to have a bite from the rabid animal, open wound or scratch and have contact with the saliva or brain tissue. Blood, feces, urine are not ways to get rabies. You can also get rabies by the saliva or brain tissue getting into your eyes or mucous membranes. Regarding the current vaccine you are getting it is a precaution. Thyroiditis wouldn't be a problem for this. You shouldn't be able to infect your family as I don't think you were actually exposed. The vaccine schedule in the US is one dose of immunoglobulin, and the vaccine at day 0 or at first exposure, day 3 , day 7 and 14 after exposure. so, you can compare your schedule to that. i am not sure which rabies vaccine they give here versus where you live. Did you have any contact with the dogs saliva? Petting the dog wouldn't do it. If you didn't have any cuts or open sores etc then you should be ok but I would continue the vaccine to be safe since they think you should have it. It is not likely to get rabies from a vaccine even if it is live attenuated . So I wouldn't worry so much. You should always wash your hands after touching an animal or anything where you don't know what is going on. Be safe and take care.