A Brief History of Rabies

Today’s rabies prophylaxis is almost 100% effective at preventing human death from the bite of a rabid animal. How did people come to understand rabies, and then develop a vaccination for it? Research: Etymologia: Rabies. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 2012 Jul [date cited]. http://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid1807.ET1807 Velasco-Villa, Andres et al. “The history of rabies in the Western Hemisphere.” Antiviral research vol. 146 (2017): 221-232. doi:10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.03.013 Pearce JLouis Pasteur and Rabies: a brief noteJournal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 2002;73:82. Wendt, Diane. “Surviving rabies 100 years ago.” National Museum of American History. 10/28/2013. https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/2013/10/surviving-rabies-100-years-ago.html Blancou, Jean. “The Evolution of Rabies Epidemiology in Wildlife.” Director General, Office International des Épizooties. https://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/sites/g/files/dgvnsk491/files/inline-files/EVOLUTION_RABIES_EPIDEMIOLOGY_WILDLIFE.pdf Lite, Jordan. “Medical Mystery: Only One Person Has Survived Rabies without Vaccine--But How?.” Scientific American. 10/8/2008. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/jeanna-giese-rabies-survivor/ Zeiler, Frederick A., and Alan C. Jackson. “Critical Appraisal of the Milwaukee Protocol for Rabies: This Failed Approach Should Be Abandoned.” Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences / Journal Canadien Des Sciences Neurologiques, vol. 43, no. 1, 2016, pp. 44–51., doi:10.1017/cjn.2015.331. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. “Mass Treatment of Humans Exposed to Rabies -- New Hampshire, 1994.” 7/7/1995. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00038110.htm Ledesma, Leandro Augusto et al. “Comparing clinical protocols for the treatment of human rabies: the Milwaukee protocol and the Brazilian protocol (Recife).” Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical vol. 53 e20200352. 6 Nov. 2020, doi:10.1590/0037-8682-0352-2020 Braus, Patricia. "Rabies." The Gale Encyclopedia of Science, edited by Katherine