Episode #225: Rabies Mistaken as Folklore

It's officially spooky season! What happens when a seemingly harmless bite becomes a race against time? Rabies is one of the deadliest viruses known to humans, and once symptoms appear, survival is extraordinarily rare. In this episode, we’ll explore the terrifying history of rabies, the strange symptom known as hydrophobia, how the virus affects the brain, and why this ancient disease continues to haunt our imaginations—and our world.

Sources

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/lyssophobia

https://www.passporthealthusa.com/2024/09/why-does-rabies-cause-hydrophobia/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12662152/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rabies/symptoms-causes/syc-20351821

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/PA/PST045225

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6823e1.htm

https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/microbiolspec.iol5-0018-2015

https://theconversation.com/rabies-horrifying-symptoms-inspired-folktales-of-humans-turned-into-werewolves-vampires-and-other-monsters-125672

https://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/yellow-journalism

https://bigthink.com/the-past/rabies-werewolves-and-vampires/

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/how-vampire-lore-emerged-from-shadowy-medical-mysteries

https://www.pasteur.fr/en/whats-new/latest-news/news/history-first-rabies-vaccination-1885

https://brewminate.com/a-history-of-rabies-since-the-middle-ages/

Antigens produced in plants by infection with chimeric plant viruses immunize against rabies virus and HIV-1 - PMC 

The problem of rabies | Global Alliance for Rabies Control