All it takes is one bite from a rabid animal, with no follow up medical treatment, and death is virtually guaranteed. But there have been less than 100 deaths in the last century in the US. Why aren’t deaths more common, especially given the sheer volume of wilderness and wild animals in the US?
In: Planetary Science
There honestly aren’t all that many rabid animals. In 2021, 3663 rabid animals were reported in the US. Your chances of being bitten are nil. If you are bitten, and you go get treatment before the onset of symptoms, you will survive. Roughly 60,000 people are treated annually for suspected bites, which should tell you that there is an excess of caution regarding animal bites. 1-3 cases of human rabies occur yearly. 70% of those cases are transmitted by bats. People just don’t realize they’ve been bitten until it’s too late.
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