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. 2010 May 26;10:278. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-10-278

Table 2.

Estimates of the Risk of Rabies Transmissiona.

Scenario Exposure b 25th percentile 50th percentile 75th percentile Range Recommend PEP (% "yes")c
1 Skunk (bite) 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.1 - 0.01 100

2 Bat (unk) 0.0001 0.001 0.001 0.01 - 0.000001 100

3 Dog (bite) 0.00001 0.00001 0.0001 0.001 - 0.00001 95

4 Dog (lick) 0.000001 0.000001 0.000001 0.00001 - 0.000001 10

5 Cat (bite) 0.0001 0.001 0.001 0.01 - 0.00001 100

6 Cat (lick) 0.000001 0.000001 0.000001 0.0001 - 0.000001 5

7 Human (unk) 0.000001 0.000001 0.000001 0.00001 -0.000001 20

a Study participants were asked to estimate the probability of developing rabies without rabies post-exposure prophylaxis for each indicated potential exposure scenario

b bite - superficial laceration, area not washed or cleaned; lick - over skin with recent superficial scratches, area not washed or cleaned; unk - unknown if true exposure, no obvious bites, scratches, or direct contact with bodily fluids

c Percentage of panel members recommending rabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for the indicated scenario