@Zardoz @branman65 @ILoveBlueSky @sam_harris Rabies has been my bulwark against being conceptually “anti-vax”. I’m aware that the primitive rabies vaccines used in the third world are very dangerous. I will try to find primary sources from a while back that discuss rabies. As for its low prevalence, from what I remember the main reservoir is bats. Increased electric lighting, modern building techniques, general deforestation would be reasons for a reduced battery encounters today. They’ve also done tag and release programs against animals known to be vector (raccoons) and near universal vaccination of dogs and cats. For an animal to spread rabies per the book, it would have to be exposed to it and not die in the encounter, so going for intermediate sized omnivores and predators seems to make sense. I could see those strategies making sense as a preventive measure to reduce contact.

You probably know the mechanism of how it’s supposed to work, so no need to beat that dead horse. I have to reading to do on rabies (again).