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Actually your 100% statistic is not entirely accurate. It's pretty damned near 100% but a paltry few actually survive rabies. I don't have the number but it is vanishingly small.
It is possible to contract rabies with no known vector, but mostly an animal bite is involved so of course if you get bitten by an animal that can't be determined to be rabies free is you get the treatment. (BTW they have done away with the shots in your abdomen if what I hear is true.) The most common exception is cave explorers inhaling the feces dust of rabid bats.
It's kind of silly to talk about rare diseases.
In the real world of diseases people actually catch cancer would be my #1 fear. Fortunately my family has zero incidence of cancer going back as far as I'm aware of.
My aunt and grandfather were both smokers; both died from emphysema/COPD/complications. There's a lesson for everybody here including me: lifestyle choices often determine the terms of your final demise.
Myself, I'm focusing on a healthful diet, exercise, and avoidance of nasty things like smoking and drugs. If it weren't for my enjoyment of wine I would have zero bad habits!
The principal places where you can catch rabies without being bitten are inside caves from infected, and in some wild areas where rabid animals have died and decomposed into infected dust, or you come into contact with the dead animal.
If you want some more fun things to worry about think about Hanta virus.
Oh and then there's those spiders, I forget which ones at the moment. They bite you, a week later you got a ring around the bite: run, run, run to your doctor!
I don't fear that but it is a serious disease, and even worse it often has iatrogenic causes (relating to illness caused by medical examination or treatment) i.e. gets caught in hospitals due to medical staff not following adequate hygienic practices like not washing hands in soap and water between patients.
Hey if you wanna feed your terror (an unwarranted fear IMO) just read this article:
Common ones I've seen loved ones suffer from bother me much more.
Alzheimer's in particular.
I think the same way. Alzheimer's is what scares me as I age since it runs in my family.
For some of the really rare disease like flesh-eating bacteria or whatever else, No. I don't give it much thought. If I knew personally someone who was infected by something rare such as that, then I probably would give it more thought in regards to myself.
I really do not think much about getting rabies. Now and then as time permits I'm around animals (dogs and cats) some and I try not to fear getting bitten, but it's a risk you take if you volunteer with animal rescue groups.
Life has lots of risks, you just try to use good judgment and proceed with caution and awareness.
Common ones I've seen loved ones suffer from bother me much more.
Alzheimer's in particular.
My wife suffered 3 1/2 years from non-Alzheimer's frontotemporal dementia along with corticobasal degeneration (a neurological impairment). Being her primary caregiver, I saw what dementia is like, up front and personal.
So another Amen.
And if I ever experience any signs, my dad's .38 is nearby and handy.
Before you eat that gun it might be a good idea to check out treatment for your condition. New treatments are always being introduced, and you may have another 20 years of enjoyable life before your symptoms get serious, and that would be 20 years of your life you missed by taking an early out.
You can always take the off ramp from life when your symptoms get serious.
Actually I think we should legalize assisted suicide, terminating your life painlessly in a medical setting. I'd hate to eat my gun although I suspect it wouldn't hurt for very long.
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