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
We treat it very seriously. Animals that are suspected of being rabid are captured or killed.
The vast majority of the time, humans that get bitten by any wild animal, especially those acting weird, will seek out immediate medical treatment.
I think even many domestic animal bites are followed by medical care and a rabies test for the animal.
And bite victims often get rabies treatment automatically if the animal can’t be found and verified as rabies-free. Better to be safe than sorry.
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