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Bites - human and animal - Management
What follow-up is needed for someone who has had an animal bite?
- This follow-up advice only applies to people who have not been referred to hospital.
- If the bite wound is not infected — advise the person to check for signs of infection and if these develop to attend urgently for review.
- If the wound is infected — review at 24 and 48 hours to ensure the infection is responding to treatment. Advise the person to attend urgently for review if the infection worsens or if they feel increasingly unwell.
- Follow-up for people who have needed post-exposure prophylaxis for rabies should follow the regimen advised for them by the Virus Reference Department of the Health Protection Agency.
In depth
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