• ImplyingImplications@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    50
    ·
    1 year ago

    Did you know you can stop rabies by having someone chop your head off?

    That’s probably the preferred treatment over dying of rabies induced violent psychosis.

    • Jumper775@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      11
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      I wonder what it’s like to be in a rabies induced violent psychosis. Also why it’s like while you’re still somewhat sane, but fear water.

      • holmesandhoatzin@slrpnk.net
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        1 year ago

        According to the CDC, it’s four doses, preferably in the arm, over a two week period. I think I remember reading about someone who worked at a rescue or rehab that had to get several shots in the shin, around the bite site, but I don’t remember why.

        • wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          Four~five shots is just immunization, there’s also two shots of immunoglobulin… That one is usually in the affected area if it is known, otherwise it’s in the bottocks. And also probably tetanus shot if you’re not up to date…

          Source, had a bat in my house a few years ago… Good times!

          • holmesandhoatzin@slrpnk.net
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            1 year ago

            Yikes! I had no idea about the immunoglobulin. It’s better than the alternative, but I hope you never have to go through that again.

            • wildbus8979@sh.itjust.works
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              1 year ago

              I would rather it not happen again, but if I ever had a doubt I’d do it again in a heartbeat! Not a pleasant experience, but I’m not gonna lie it’s a great story to recount at parties!

              What I found really crazy is thinking of the anxiety it would have caused us if we had been south of the border (my partner is from the US). Even the co-pay might have been thousands of dollars and, being pretty broke at the time (they were a student and I had lost my job to COVID), we might have thought twice about getting treatment. Out of pocket, being that I no longer had insurance, it would have been probably tens of thousands for the two of us.

      • russjr08@outpost.zeuslink.net
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        1 year ago

        I believe that only works if you manage to catch it extremely early. Once it advances past a certain point, they don’t have a treatment to my knowledge (though I’d be happy to hear I’m out of date on that…).

        • Landrin201@lemmy.ml
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          6
          ·
          1 year ago

          If you get bitten by a rabid animal and go get the shots immediately after your chance of actually dying from rabies is very, very low. The studies I know claim it’s very close to 100% effective, which is understandable because of the very long incubation period rabies has, if you have antibodies it doesn’t stand a chance.

        • Raistlin@lemmy.sdf.org
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          1 year ago

          There is the Milwaukee protocol, but that is almost never successful, usually results in brain damage, and has only been used a handful of times. Also it’s banned in many locations from the inherent risk and lack of evidence for it working at all.

      • Wahots@pawb.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        1 year ago

        You get two in the arm, and one or two in the ass. Then a fifth later iirc. We had to get our rabies vaccines about a decade ago. A decent number, but none in the stomach.

        Nice thing is, for the next five years, you are almost immune, and only need a booster if bitten again.

        I’d always get the booster though. Rabies ain’t worth gambling on.