4 ms·

Rabies is such an unfortunate disease. It can live in you with no symptoms for months, and sometimes even years, and then one day you start presenting symptoms

by lukevp 3y ago

Rabies is such an unfortunate disease. It can live in you with no symptoms for months, and sometimes even years, and then one day you start presenting symptoms and the next day you’re dead. There’s no way to test for it because the way it’s tested for is by cutting your spine/brain apart… I was exposed to a rabid bat a couple of weeks ago (captured, tested and confirmed to have rabies, unfortunately). While I’m not ecstatic about the cost of rabies treatment in America (it can be up to $40k a person, and 2 of us were exposed), I’m so glad we were able to get the bat tested and get in for the vaccines fairly easily. The vaccines themselves are reasonably priced, but you have to get Human Immunoglobulin as well, which is only available at ERs and ranges from 2-12k per dose… and we needed 3 doses for each person (it’s by weight). In addition to those 3 shots, we had to get 4 vaccine shots, spread out over a 2 week period. Each shot caused symptoms. Luckily our symptoms were primarily just extreme fatigue or hot skin near the injection site, so it was not a fun 2 weeks but not the end of the world for us. This alternative treatment sounds like it could be significantly cheaper and easier than that, and that it could possibly work in later stages, so that’s awesome to hear! I wasn’t clear from the article if they think it’ll be usable in humans once the symptoms begin though. If it’s before symptoms begin only, then it’s not much different than the current vaccine regimen other than cost/simplicity (which is still an awesome improvement, but not helpful for the people who don’t know they were exposed).

foobarian 3y ago
Did the bat bite? How was it captured? How was it even near you? Must be a heck of a story! :-)
- toast0 3y ago
  I've encountered bats twice at my house in semi-rural washington. One was hanging out in a can light on the ceiling of my deck... It meerly frightened the hell out of me, but didn't bite me; it made a kind of growl when I touched it, not realizing it was an animal. I came back some time later and it had left. I found another one dead on the same deck a year or so later. As it wasn't white nose season, I had to dispose of it myself.
nytesky 3y ago
I’ve had rabies vaccines twice now; a bat flew into us out hiking and then a raccoon jumped me in our yard. In no case neither myself or my kids had any discernible side effects. That’s interesting that was possible; considering the vagueness of early onset rabies (fever, fatigue, headache) that must have been worrying. The worst about rabies is that it can linger for years; I heard of a case where a woman was traveling overseas and had exposure to a rabid monkey, and couldn’t get treatment for a week and then only got the vaccine, no HRIG. They told they won’t really know if it worked until 2 years, if she doesn’t die. I strongly consider getting my family vaccinated before traveling to any place that doesn’t have ready HRIG and vax, since delay can be so dangerous. It’s a low likelihood but high consequences risk, but the vax is pretty low risk but expensive. Spouse doesn’t think it’s necessary so will have to cross that bridge.

by lukevp 3y ago

foobarian 3y ago

Did the bat bite? How was it captured? How was it even near you? Must be a heck of a story! :-)

toast0 3y ago
I've encountered bats twice at my house in semi-rural washington. One was hanging out in a can light on the ceiling of my deck... It meerly frightened the hell out of me, but didn't bite me; it made a kind of growl when I touched it, not realizing it was an animal. I came back some time later and it had left. I found another one dead on the same deck a year or so later. As it wasn't white nose season, I had to dispose of it myself.

nytesky 3y ago

I’ve had rabies vaccines twice now; a bat flew into us out hiking and then a raccoon jumped me in our yard. In no case neither myself or my kids had any discernible side effects. That’s interesting that was possible; considering the vagueness of early onset rabies (fever, fatigue, headache) that must have been worrying. The worst about rabies is that it can linger for years; I heard of a case where a woman was traveling overseas and had exposure to a rabid monkey, and couldn’t get treatment for a week and then only got the vaccine, no HRIG. They told they won’t really know if it worked until 2 years, if she doesn’t die. I strongly consider getting my family vaccinated before traveling to any place that doesn’t have ready HRIG and vax, since delay can be so dangerous. It’s a low likelihood but high consequences risk, but the vax is pretty low risk but expensive. Spouse doesn’t think it’s necessary so will have to cross that bridge.