19.08.2026 15:31
Prof. Dr. Hasan İçen, Chief Physician at the Animal Hospital in Diyarbakır, has issued vital warnings regarding rabies transmission. Prof. Dr. İçen stated that rabies can also be transmitted through a cat's scratch, saying, "If bitten in an area close to the head, symptoms appear within 2 to 4 months. Unfortunately, once symptoms appear, there is no turning back. A case has been reported in the literature of a person bitten on the toe who developed rabies 11 years later."
Prof. Dr. Hasan İçen, Chief Physician at the Animal Hospital in Diyarbakır, has made vital warnings regarding rabies transmission. Prof. Dr. İçen stated that rabies can also be transmitted through a cat's scratch, saying, "If bitten in an area close to the head, symptoms appear within 2 to 4 months. Unfortunately, once symptoms appear, there is no turning back. A case has been reported in the literature of a person bitten on the toe who developed rabies 11 years later."
SYMPTOMS APPEARED 4 MONTHS LATER
In the rural Büyükkadı neighborhood of the central Sur district of Diyarbakır, a 3-year-old girl named N.K. was bitten by a cat approximately 4 months ago. When she fell ill on August 10, she was taken to the hospital, and upon reporting that she had been bitten by a cat, she was placed under treatment. As a result of examining samples taken from the patient, the rabies test came back positive on August 13. Following this, necessary efforts were initiated by the Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry, the Provincial Health Directorate, and the Sur District Health Directorate teams under the coordination of the governorship. The intubated child's treatment continues.
"NOT EVERY SCRATCHING OR BITING ANIMAL HAS RABIES"
Prof. Dr. Hasan İçen, Head of the Department of Internal Diseases at Dicle University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Chief Physician of the faculty's Animal Hospital, stated that cats, dogs, and other biting carnivorous animals can transmit rabies.
Emphasizing that not every cat transmits rabies, İçen stated that for a cat to transmit rabies, it must first be rabid itself and must have been bitten by a rabid animal. "Not every scratching or biting animal has rabies. Therefore, there is no need to panic," said İçen, adding, "Cats carry rabies much less frequently than dogs. Rabies cases in cats also differ from those in dogs. Because while dogs die within 10 days after starting to show rabies symptoms, this period is within 2 to 6 days in cats. When cats contract rabies, they become very aggressive. They make aggressive movements in the air with their paws as if attacking a mouse. They seem as if they will instill tremendous fear in the surroundings."
"IF WE ARE BITTEN BY AN ANIMAL WE DO NOT KNOW..."
Prof. Dr. İçen stated that it is not right to look at every cat with suspicion of rabies without reason, saying, "But when we are bitten by an animal we do not know or recognize, rabies is never a disease to be neglected. Because rabies has a risky period. If you are bitten or scratched by a rabid or suspected rabid animal, the wound area must definitely be cleaned with plenty of soapy water. Then it should be cleaned with tincture of iodine. The wound area should not be stitched or closed, and vaccination procedures should be started within 24 to 48 hours by going to the nearest health facility."
TWO DISEASES ARE VERY IMPORTANT
Noting that if the bitten area is close to the head, antibodies are also applied to that area because rabies symptoms will appear sooner, İçen said:
"Thus, they reveal the risk at a lower level. They largely prevent the symptoms of this disease from emerging. If you are bitten or scratched, that cat or dog must definitely be followed up. If the cat or dog dies within 2 to 6 days, it must be sent to the laboratory for definitive diagnosis. According to the laboratory results, the patient should be followed up. But no matter the reason, if we have been bitten or scratched by an unknown animal, two diseases are very important for us. The first is rabies, the second is tetanus. There is also a disease called cat scratch disease transmitted by cats. As long as we pay attention to these, we do not need to fear cats too much. As much as possible, we should interact with cats we know and recognize."
HE ESPECIALLY WARNED THOSE INVOLVED IN THIS WORK
Stating that a bitten animal first reacts to sound and light during rabies symptoms, İçen said, "Then it shows symptoms such as not obeying its owner's commands, moving away from home, going into darkness, and fearing water. After these, it shows signs of madness. After showing signs of madness, death is already near. Unlike dogs, cats have the possibility of transmission through scratching. Because cats constantly lick themselves, and since the microbe can also be present in the cat's saliva even two days before clinical symptoms appear, there is a possibility of transmission through scratching. In cats, both scratching and biting cases occur. We also recommend that our colleagues involved in this work and those working in animal shelters must definitely get their regular rabies vaccinations," he said.
"PREVENTIVE MEDICINE BEGINS WITH US"
Pointing out that if a patient has been diagnosed with rabies and was bitten by a cat, the cat dies within 2 to 6 days, İçen said, "It is impossible for that cat to live for 4 months. Those that survive beyond the period determined by the World Health Organization are considered rabies-negative. For dogs, it can extend up to a maximum of 13 days. Within 13 days, they die one hundred percent. These animals must definitely be quarantined and observed. If they die within the specified period, and an autopsy is performed and a diagnosis is made in their brains or through other diagnostic methods, then the patient must be kept under observation, and the necessary applications in human medicine must continue when required. The animal part concerns us. The other part concerns human medicine. But preventive medicine begins with us."
THERE IS A CASE OF RABIES DEVELOPED AFTER 11 YEARS
Stating that this disease can be eliminated as long as rabies vaccinations are properly administered, İçen said, "Otherwise, it is impossible for us to escape this disease. Unfortunately, from time to time, such cases will continue to appear. If bitten on the foot, this period can extend up to 1-3 years. But if bitten in an area close to the head, it is between 2 to 4 months. These symptoms appear within 2 to 4 months, and God forbid, once these symptoms appear, unfortunately, there is no return. In the literature, a case has been reported of a person bitten on the toe who developed rabies 11 years later. Apart from this, no such long-term case has been reported."
However, there are cases reported after 2 to 3 years," he said.
"IT IS NOT TRANSMITTED UNLESS BITTEN BY A RABID ANIMAL"
Stating that owned cats should not be feared, İçen concluded his speech as follows:
"Because owned cats do not get rabies unless they are bitten by another cat, a rabid animal, or an animal suspected of having rabies. If regular vaccinations have been done, there is no need to fear. People need to take precautions against scratch and tetanus diseases. Because these can be transmitted through bites and scratches by cats and dogs. We have a motto: prevention is better than a thousand treatments. Our state provides significant support for vaccination. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry provides rabies vaccines free of charge for all animals. Therefore, even if there is a stray animal around you, we must not forget that you should have them registered and vaccinated to prevent any harm from these animals. That cat must have been bitten by another animal. If there is no reported rabies case from there in the last 4-5 months, then the likelihood of rabies transmission from wild animals is high. This can happen from a fox, a wolf, or other carnivores. One of the suspected animals has bitten this animal. In this way, this animal has contracted rabies. Otherwise, the rabies microbe does not form in a cat on its own. No matter which animal the cat bites, it can transmit it to that animal."