<...> the fact that rabies has a long incubation period during which regular antibiotics are extremely effective against it. <...>
No. AIUI, there are three options: you're vaccinated pre-exposure OR get vaccinated very quickly (>24hrs) after exposure OR you will almost invariably die a horrible death. There are very, very few known survivors of symptomatic rabies. Low double digits.
Antibiotics make no sense since a) it's caused by a virus and b) doesn't cause any complications that could be treated with antibiotics.
I stand corrected.
Some facts I gleaned;
* The time period between contracting the disease and
the start of symptoms is usually one to three months but can vary from less than one week to more than one year.
* The time depends on the distance the virus must travel along peripheral nerves to reach the central nervous system.
* Rabies is caused by
lyssaviruses, including the
rabies virus and
Australian bat lyssavirus.
* It is spread when an infected animal bites or scratches a human or other animals.
* Saliva from an infected animal can also transmit rabies if the saliva comes into contact with the eyes, mouth, or nose.
*
The disease can be diagnosed only after the start of symptoms.* Immunizing people before they are exposed is recommended for those at high risk, including those who work with bats or who spend prolonged periods in areas of the world where rabies is common.
* In people who have been exposed to rabies, the rabies vaccine and sometimes rabies immunoglobulin are effective in preventing the disease if
the person receives the treatment before the start of rabies symptoms.
* As of 2016, only fourteen people were documented to have survived a rabies infection after showing symptoms.
* However, research conducted in 2010 among a population of people in Perú with a self-reported history of one or more bites from vampire bats (commonly infected with rabies), found that out of 73 individuals reporting previous bat bites, 7 people had rabies virus-neutralizing antibodies (rVNA). Since only one member of this group reported prior vaccination for rabies, the findings of the research suggest previously undocumented cases of infection and viral replication followed by an abortive infection. This could indicate that in rare cases people may have an exposure to the virus without treatment and develop natural antibodies as a result.
