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
You’d basically have to 1. Get bitten by a rabid animal (not as common as people think). 2. Avoid medical treatment and 3. Continue avoiding that treatment until symptoms show. We’re taught from before grade school to avoid wildlife. We’re taught that if any animal bites us, we have to get medical attention. Animals that bite humans and are caught are killed and checked for rabies. Various organizations have programs that air drop rabies vaccine laced food in places with high rabies counts. Your pets are required to get a rabies vaccine. In short, we make it very hard for a susceptible host and a carrier to come in contact with each other.
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