Realistically it's a 100% mortality rate once symptomatic. There have only been a few people recorded to have survived, and they were pretty severely mentally damaged IIRC.
Rabies can also lie dormant for years before becoming symptomatic
Regardless I agree, get bit by a wild animal, probably not a terrible idea to get a shot just in case.
Call me paranoid, but I took the jab more for my mental sanity. Actually more like 5-6 jabs in total if i remembered correctly. I wouldn’t be able to feel at ease knowing there’s even a 1% chance, given that it could even remain dormant for years!
There are cases of survivors post symptoms, but they are exceedingly rare (although there’s a small human population in, I think, south america (?) that’s completely immune to rabies. Like entire village of genetically rabies resistant humans)
This is why I got my rabies pre-exposure vaccine. Insurance didn’t cover it but I’m glad I did it. It gives you more time to get to a hospital if you get bit, and it’s just 1 simple arm injection rather than 3 series of multiple massive needles all over your abdomen
There has been one person who survived it that got the treatments only after she started showing symptoms. All others who survived after developing symptoms had been vaccinated prior to developing symptoms.
I know the woman who wasn’t vaccinated prior to symptoms suffered severe damage and was still recovering last I heard, so it’s unknown how much permanent damage was done. I don’t know how much damage was done to the other survivors nor what the actual circumstances were prior to their becoming symptomatic. I don’t how long after exposure they started getting rabies treatment. I don’t know if they had any conditions affecting their immune systems. I don’t know if they had the one of the older rabies treatments that required more shots over a longer time nor if there was any known error in the administration of their treatment.
Well at least you can prevent deaths from rabies, at least if you catch it before symptoms develop. If they do you are basically already dead, but still suffering.
The chance of you catching rabies from a cat is unlikely because you can tell the difference between a cat having its usual moodswing of playful bites and so fourth to being rabid and literally biting at you aggressively.
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u/Affectionate_Bee6434 Jun 19 '26
Rabies has a 99% mortality rate, personally I wouldn't take the risk