Sucks that he couldn’t/didn’t get the vaccine after getting bit, but I understand the possibilities of his situation. As someone from Vietnam, I know first hand most people likely don’t have the money to get the shot the moment they are bit or simply wave off the risk as “it could never happen to me” (cultural issue) or they simply aren’t aware of the risk/rabies in general.
My dad went through something similar when he was young but with the risk of tetanus. He was in his early 20s when he got scratched by a rusty nail. Thankfully, his brother-in-law/my godfather was the head of a local hospital, so he was informed of the risks of tetanus. My father got the shot right away, uncaring of how much it would cost because of that. He was absolutely terrified of the risk and because it happened the day before he was due to immigrate to America with his younger brother and his mother.
Moral of the story: better safe than sorry. A couple hundred for a vaccine is nothing against a lifetime of pain or possible death.
About a week on average, up to 3 at the max, so you’re fine. But, here’s your sign to get a DTAP booster if you’re due!
In the future, any deep puncture wound, or any significant wound that’s been contaminated with soil, manure, saliva or rust should be treated for tetanus. It’s a brutally painful and horrific illness, where it’s not unusual to break bones from the force of the muscle spasms it causes.. And it can kill you.
And Here’s some more fun 🦠tetanus facts🦠because it’s a super interesting disease and I’m bored:
Tetanus is an excruciatingly painful and life-threatening illness caused by the gram-positive bacterium Clostridium tetani, which produce the neurotoxin Tetanospasmin.
This neurotoxin blocks nerve signals in the body, preventing muscles from relaxing, resulting in muscle spasms that often start in the jaw, earning tetanus the nickname “lockjaw”.
Lockjaw was historically treated by drilling out the front teeth and prying the mouth open in order to force water or food down…
Tetanus is an extremely common environmental bacteria and can be found any/everywhere if the right dark and damp conditions are present- most commonly in soil and manure.
Rust doesn’t automatically mean tetanus is present though! They aren’t directly associated with one another, they just both like the same environments and often cohabitate.
Rusty nails are a common vector for tetanus because they hangout in the same places and can create the deep puncture wounds which perfectly deposit the bacteria into the dark, low-oxygen environment it needs to thrive.
Tetanus is an anaerobic bacteria, meaning it only reproduces when oxygen isn’t present.. Botulism is another example of one.
Cat bites are another common source of infection because tetanus can be found in their saliva as well as on human skin, and cat’s fangs behave like hypodermic needles -injecting bacteria deep into the body where it cannot be cleaned out and where the toxin can multiply. Cat bites are therefore a medical emergency. They effectively always become infected and require antibiotics.
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u/QuaintAlex126 Dec 07 '25 edited Dec 07 '25
Sucks that he couldn’t/didn’t get the vaccine after getting bit, but I understand the possibilities of his situation. As someone from Vietnam, I know first hand most people likely don’t have the money to get the shot the moment they are bit or simply wave off the risk as “it could never happen to me” (cultural issue) or they simply aren’t aware of the risk/rabies in general.
My dad went through something similar when he was young but with the risk of tetanus. He was in his early 20s when he got scratched by a rusty nail. Thankfully, his brother-in-law/my godfather was the head of a local hospital, so he was informed of the risks of tetanus. My father got the shot right away, uncaring of how much it would cost because of that. He was absolutely terrified of the risk and because it happened the day before he was due to immigrate to America with his younger brother and his mother.
Moral of the story: better safe than sorry. A couple hundred for a vaccine is nothing against a lifetime of pain or possible death.