Anyone have your rabies titers checked lately. Mine was 2.6 IU/mL. I was thinking it should be 4 something

No I haven’t, but I probably should. How often are you supposed to

I have wondered , I got my shots at the V.A., I asked if I needed a booster like my dog and they looked at me like I had 3 eyes. Is that what I should ask My titer number?

You need to get a Titer test each year for at least a few years. The VA has to send it out as a "Cost basis" test and it's not cheap. DO NOT LET THEM BS YOU OUT OF IT! You may have to see the Vet Reps or the Patients Advocate. Tell them you handle wild animals, and NEED that test.

I'd assume whomever tested you would give you an acceptable range/level?

I get mine checked with a physical. Haven't heard of anyone needing a booster.

The scale was .01 to 15.0. I have dealt with two questionable critters this year. Makes me want to make sure I am covered in case of unknown exposure. 40 years of dealing with critters and only had one animal test positive.

How many trappers get a rabies vaccine or is it mainly for those doing catch & release ADC? Been wondering if I should have gotten one.

I haven't had any Rabavert vaccine since 1983. I am going through a rabies treatment now and will get my last injection tomorrow morning. I had a contact with a raccoon last week and thought it was a good idea to get them again. The animal appeared healthy but you never really know about appearances.

I handle wildlife of all types daily and things happen every now and then. Always best to be careful and get immunized. I was way over due for a titer count check.

"According to World Health Organization guidelines, a rabies antibody level of greater than or equal to 0.5 IU/mL demonstrates an adequate response to vaccination (1). If the level falls below this value, a booster dose of rabies vaccine may be recommended for people who are at frequent risk of rabies virus exposure. In contrast, the ACIP guidelines state that evidence of complete neutralization at a serum dilution of 1:5 in RFFIT testing (corresponding to 0.1-0.2 IU/mL in our laboratory) is considered an adequate response to rabies vaccination (2). The lowest antibody level that can be accurately and precisely measured by the RFFIT in our laboratory is 0.1 IU/mL; below this level, there is uncertainty as to the specificity of the result. Because the ACIP level is close to the assay threshold, the level of 0.5 IU/mL is more conservative for guiding human vaccination decisions and applicable in most situations.
Points that should be considered as to whether a person should receive a booster dose of rabies vaccine when their antibody level falls below 0.5 IU/mL are:
Anticipated risk of exposure (i.e., routinely handling sick animals or rabies reservoir species in enzootic areas)
Length of time until the next antibody measurement
Previous rabies antibody levels and the probability of decay to low or undetectable levels in the intervening period
Individual health status (consider immunocompromising conditions or a history of poor vaccine response)
Timely access to vaccine and administration should a potential exposure occur"

From here:

http://www.ksvdl.org/rabies-laboratory/rffit-test/

I read this post and have a few questions if you don't mind? I had the rabies shots around 1988 after exposure to a sick raccoon. Sounds like some of you are getting a vaccine for it? Do you go somewhere special to get that? How long does it last? Sounds like you get a blood test and see if it is still working before you get a booster? Is this correct? Thanks, Larry

Yeah Larry, I went to the Co Health Dept, and they arrainged the shots for pre exposure vacine. I should follow up and get tested again, as that has been quite a few years ago. It is not something I am overly concerned about, as I have no interest in adc work, but prolly should get it done. Presence of rabies is very low in this area.

Thanks for the tip. I think I'll check into it. We have outbreaks once in a while here. Is it expensive?

Read the cdc web page. They tell how to get around the system and who pays and what.

If you look at a map Kansas is a hot spot.
A lot of rabies shows up in the milk sampling.

Well fellas, I was just at the doc and wanted to add in a titer level check. Said they don't recommend it anymore. She double checked on some doctor website and said the same thing.

That said, I kind of believe it as I've never heard of anyone's titer levels dropping below the acceptable range...even after 20 plus years.

I had the full series of the pre-exposure shots and my titer was not even on the chart a couple years later when I asked for it to be checked. Thought it might be a bad test result so I had it checked again. So low it did not even register. My doctor did not have a clue why. I am still trying to find someone who can explain why my test is showing up the way it is. I do not know if I got bad vaccine or if it was just ineffective in my case. Still trying to sort through it and figure out what is next.

With the widespread lack of knowledge about rabies and the vaccine among the rank and file medical doctors, it is little surprise to me that many folks who probably should have the pre-exposure shots never get them.

Are they bad for you?

I tripped at 3am in the morning and had female yote treat my left leg as a chew toy!! I never go to the doctor, but figured with a wife and 4 boys I had better get to the doc. I wasn’t to worried about the safety of the shot. Since then I’ve looked and it seems to be no different than any other vaccine.

About fifteen years ago, I caught a skunk in a cage, and prepared to use a syringe to inject it. Got the syringe out of the truck, where it had been riding around on the console since I had last used it up in Wy to kill a bunch of skunks. I dropped it, and without thinking, I grabbed for it....yep, you guessed it, stuck right in the meaty part of my palm below the thumb. I go.....crap, now what, after I pulled it out! Knew if I went to a doc, they would freak out, so I called Tom Krause, because He had written a number of good articles about skunks and putting them down. Tom laughed and ask how long and where the syringe was stored. Said that I was prolly good to go, because the rabies virus is killed by direct sunlight, and by laying in the truck like that, I was pretty safe. I said, good enough for me! He did say though, if I started foaming at the mouth and trying to bite people, not to call him! True story!

I got my pre exposure shots via my county health department and had boosters every two years. Was bitten by a fox last year and had two booster shots as a precaution.

Note* Since getting the pre exposure shots the Red Cross will no longer accept my blood. I still am glad for the shots, it's for the exposure that you did not know you had. Over the years I handled many possible rabies carriers; bats, skunks, fox, coons.

Had the pre exposure shots 30 years ago. Never had a booster. Get checked every 3 or 4 years. Guess I'm due.
LOL killed two rabid skunks a few years back. Health Dept quarantined our livestock ( kids 4H projects missed the fairs) , made us jump thru all kinds of hoops. But took them about 10 weeks to see me to check my titer.