A woman who woke up with two small, red, raised marks on her chest has been urged by social media users to treat the situation as an emergency and seek medical attention immediately. The unidentified woman posted a photo of the marks on Reddit, seeking advice on their origin.
While some commenters suggested the marks could be spider bites, others raised concerns about the possibility of a bat bite, given that a bat in the woman's town had recently tested positive for rabies. One user, identifying themselves as a public health inspector, advised: 'Please make sure it's not a bat. If there's even a possibility, you need rabies shots.'
The original poster replied that she had searched her small apartment and found no signs of a bat, and that no windows were open. However, she acknowledged the news of a rabid bat in her area. Another commenter, an ER nurse, recommended she consult a doctor due to the local rabies risk.
Several users urged her to get a rabies shot immediately, noting that time is limited for post-exposure prophylaxis. However, the woman expressed reluctance, citing a previous difficult and expensive experience obtaining rabies shots after a stray dog encounter. One user clarified that if she had been vaccinated before, she would only need booster doses, not the costly immunoglobulin.
The NHS states that rabies is a rare but serious infection, usually caught from an infected animal's bite or scratch, and is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, though vaccination and early treatment can prevent it. The woman has not confirmed whether she sought medical care.
