1

Hi there. Believe it or not you have a higher chance of being attacked by pit bulls here in south florida. than being attacked by stray dogs in guatemala. Because of irresponsable owners, it has happened several times out int the streets here in Broward county and tha'ts why they're banned in Miami-Dade county. Stray dogs are a nuisance in guatemala but I've never read of any dog attacks. I don't think that's something you have to worry about. You'll be fine. IMO I think you have a higher chance of getting bitten by a snake in the tropics. Good luck.

2

Wow... Funny you should ask this because I got a dog bite in February in Guatemala.
You can get a shot at any public health center around guatemala, even in smaller cities they have a Public health centers.
To be honest I wouldn't bother , you don't really need the shot -- if you get bit, then you would get a series of 3 shots after the fact.

If you are wandering around in rural areas and you encounter any aggressive dogs, pickup a few stones and if the dogs approach you hurl the stones at the dog(s), it'll scare them away and they shouldn't approach you again.
Also could carry a stick/pole as well if you're really off in the wilderness. Good luck

3

Guatemala City and Antigua are probably your best bets. Bear in mind that there are different types of rabies vaccines, and if you do get the first shots in France you should absolutely check to be sure you're getting the same shot in Guatemala. Otherwise you just have two incomplete vaccination series, neither of which does you any good.

4

Hey Delmonte,
Thanks for your input. Actually, I would not have decided to get the shots if sticking to Guatemala. I'm more concerned about other places like Bolivia for example (http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?messageID=20142050#20142050)
I also know that it's most of the time possible to get medical attention within 24 hours, but the treatment is far heavier when you did not get the preventive shots.

5

Haha thanks for the tips for fighting back battambang! In India I saw really small kids managing stray dogs like this, with stones and sticks... Felt a bit stupid then.
I didn't know there was several types of vaccine, I'll check the name of mine. Thanks for the advice!

6

I'm planning on posting a full review of my experience, but I was bitten by a dog in Peru and decided to go to Lima for the shots. There are only 3 clinics that I know of in Peru that carry the modern rabies vaccine (4 shots in the arm rather than 10 in the stomach), and I wouldn't bank on there being any in Bolivia, though just about everywhere will have the older 10-in-the-gut vaccine, which is just as effective if a little more unpleasant. If you're getting your preliminary shots in France, odds are it's the newer vaccine (probably VERORAB or something similar). If you are bitten or anything and decide to get the rest of the vaccine, I recommend making a B-line for Lima or Cuzco.

7

I had to get 3 shots after i was bit, I had 1 done in Guatemala, one in El tunco, El Salvador, and one in Canada They were all the exact same ingredients, but different brands. The one in El Salvador I'm 95% certain it was Verorab, as was the one in Canada. And in Guatemala the same idea but just from a different company. I still have the vials if you want me to find them and tell you what they were.

8

I made a longish post about vaccines and the importance of the different ones. For some reason it was held for moderators who have still (after many many hours not released it).

I really wonder why people bother writing stuff when it suddenly and without reason gets blocked and not released, no notification why or anything.

Makes the forum a farce. If you are going to block posts for moderation, then moderators have to do their stuff !!

It was too much for me to bother to rewrite and type in again

9

I accidentally deleted the post instead of forwarding it to this thread. Fortunately, I was able to find a copy of it. Here it is, unedited:
Make sure you get a CCEEV type vaccine rather than a nerve tissue vaccine. Practices vary but nerve tissue vaccine is still used is some countries (e.g. Peru). I don't know about Guatemala. In France I'm sure they would only give CCV or EEV vaccines and even in those countries who might use nerve tissue vaccines, you can normally get the CCEEV's but you pay (significantly more).

As you are doing pre-exposure you can make sure. If it was post-exposure then it might be a different matter.

Reason for avoiding nerve tissue rabies vaccine is that, whilst it is cheaper, the complication rates are a lot higher (one in 650 from memory). WHO recommends only CCEEV types but not everywhere follows that. As I say, in France I would not expect this to be an issue. I don't know about Guatemala but I would recommend checking.

Some might say you are being OTT getting vaccinated. I have been vaccinated myself for different reasons (work with wild animals who do carry rabies and where people in my own country have died from rabies caught from those animals). However, were I ready to start my travels I may easily have elected for the same vaccinations.

Remember that, if you have not been vaccinated before, most places recommend a booster after the 1st year (then subsequent boosters at longer intervals).

VERY IMPORTANT: Once vaccinated, if you suspect you may have been exposed to rabies then you still need to go through the post exposure treatment. The post exposure treatment might involve fewer treatments if you are vaccinated but normally exposure still means seeking out medical advice.

I am not a doctor, not an expert and not providing advice - just opinion. Comments above should only be taken as my own personal opinion, my understanding which may be wrong (or different). In matters of health I am in no position to provide advice.

10

"Being afraid of dogs, you may not react appropriately in case of a bad encounter,"
Hm, let's see, I suppose that means I should not let you get near my dog since you might react inappropriately and don't have a preventive rabies shot yet, especially in view of the comment that you intend to do some woofing.

11

I see what you did there.

12

I don't get #10. Do you mean that I should refrain from working in farms because I can't handle aggressive dogs?