While walking a day ago, I happened across a completely dried, sporadically seperated cat carcass in the middle of a small side-street. The cat had apparently been run down some time before, and being a cat-lover myself, I decided a burial (to atleast get the remains out of the road) would be a decent thing to do. I live in Southern Arizona, where the current temperatures are at about ~90 F during most of the day. I used latex gloves and sticks to put the remains (no head was found, and the rest was mostly scattered bits of the pelt, with an intact, yet completely stiff tail, attached to a bit of the intact top portion of the body. An almost intact lower leg and a bone fragment were also recovered.) into a suitable box, and carried it to a location I saw fit for to put it under. While digging the hole, one of the fingers on my right glove was torn, and there was a small accidental prick from an adjacent cactus while doing so. After this was done, I washed my clothes and myself thoroughly. Now, is there any possibility of Rabies contraction from this encounter? I'm a bit concerned about the tearing of the glove and the prick from the cactus spine.
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Cats are usually vaccinated, so it's doubtful.
Next time, even if you're a cat lover, just get the remains out of the road by calling the local sanitation dept.
If you're really worried about it, go get a series of post-exposure rabies shots from your MD.
Rabies does not spread through blood. Rabies spreads through saliva and nerve/brain tissue. I think in your case its highly unlikely that you have been exposed. I used to work in a lab that tested for Rabies...so I know all about it. If you have any more ? post here and I'll try to answer.
Rabies can be passed through YOUR blood. Obviously there was no blood on that dried carcass, which leads me to another thought. The rabies virus does not hold up well after air contact. In otherwords, regardless of which body fluid we think passes it on, exposure to air and drying it drastically reduces it. Although some groups believe in saliva/mucous transfer, my state for example, has no documented case of transfer this way. Just the good old scratch or bite into the bloodstream.
i articulate all kinds of animal skeletons so i get "fresh" carcases.The rabies does live in the brain and CAN NOT BE KILLED BY FREZZING but can be killed with very high temputure.I have never worried about any animal carring it accept bat and racoon.