u/S_paceCadet

Hi, I’m going with a friend this week to the Cohutta Wilderness. I found a spot I hope to camp at if nobody else is there and I was wondering if campfires are allowed right now. Theres a rock ring already there, but according to this site, campfires are prohibited in the Cohutta wilderness. I don’t think is an offical source but I don’t see any other definitive info. If anyone knows or knows where I can officially found out, please lemme know.

I made a post earlier this week detailing an encounter with a wild raccoon that I found in my tent with me when I woke up. I went to a walk-in clinic/urgent care and detailed the situation, and was urged by them to seek an ER and tell them the same thing, since I could not account for the exact contact I may or may not have had with the raccoon, as I was asleep.
However, at the ER, I was plainly told: if you were not bitten, you do not meet the criteria for the vaccine and will not receive it. End of story.

So now, a week + $ of a useless ER trip later, I find myself just as lost on the specifics of rabies transmission as I first was. I guess my main questions are:

1. If saliva were to enter it, can rabies spread through a wound that was not caused by the animal? I’m talking something highly miniscule, like a small puncture from a fishhook or even a popped pimple.

2. Do animals have to be acting rabid to spread the disease?

I appreciate any knowledge on the subject. I have read the FAQ.

Was camping in a state park last night and our tent was absolutely bombarded by raccoons all night. Didn't even have any food in there, they must have been conditioned to trying to get into tents. Anyways, upon finally managing to fall asleep after it seemed like they had left us alone, I wake up to one literally scurrying out of the tent door. This little guy managed to unzip the door with his hands or teeth and actually break in to my tent.

Now, I have heard that if you find a bat in your room or tent upon waking up, you should get the vaccine. Are raccoons any different? I feel like it would be a lot easier to tell if I was bitten by a raccoon while asleep, and none of the ones I saw were exhibiting any weird behavior. They just seemed to be a little too accustomed to humans, but as soon as I woke up, it bolted out of the tent.

And I don't see any visible wounds or scratches. But I haven't really done a full body check either. I have read the FAQ.