"WHO: Transmission and pathogenesis

In most cases the disease is transmitted via the bite of rabid animals which shed infectious virus with their saliva. The virus enters the body through transdermal inoculation (i.e. wounds) or direct contact of infectious material (i.e. saliva, cerebrospinal liquid, nerve tissue) to mucous membranes or skin lesions. The virus can not penetrate intact skin."

https://www.who-rabies-bulletin.org/site-page/transmission-and-pathogenesis

#rabies

Missed this from a few days ago!!

NBC News: Outbreaks of rabies seem to be rising across the U.S., CDC surveillance shows

The CDC's rabies team says it's tracking 15 different likely outbreaks from New York to Oregon.

"...Aug. 31, 2025, 2:00 AM PDT
By Marina Kopf, Linda Carroll and Anne Thompson

Six deaths from rabies have been reported over the last 12 months in the U.S., the highest number in years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/rabies-outbreaks-rising-us-deaths-vaccine-rcna227771

#rabies #death #vaccines

***SIX DEATHS -- holy moly.

"...The rabies virus invades the central nervous system and is almost always fatal once symptoms start. Early symptoms, which can begin about a week or up to a year after exposure, may resemble the flu and progress quickly to confusion, paralysis, salivating, hallucinations and difficulty swallowing, followed by death within weeks...."

#rabies

Yeah, so since people may have missed what sent me on this tangent:

CBC: Kentucky nurse gives CPR to drunk baby raccoon trapped in a dumpster

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/drunk-raccoon-cpr-1.7630379

@ai6yr I saw that too and now I have some research to do. Specifically, if I keep on my n95, and am able to make a seal with it to provide CPR, how protected would I be, if at all? (My guess sans research is: better than raw mouthing it, still not entirely protected)

@river Not practical with an N95... I think you make the choice not to do breaths at that point.

@ai6yr @river I think this where those little plastic masks with the one way valve specifically for CPR come in to play. However I have no idea how the fit is on a racoon.

@SRLevine @ai6yr @river I think I'd still want an Ambu bag. "I never thought the raccoon would eat *my* face".

@SRLevine @ai6yr @river It also occurs to me that we're among relatively few species whose anatomy permits mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. This is why opossums aren't able to get certified in CPR.