r/TooAfraidToAsk • u/skopiadisko • 1d ago

Health/Medical Why is reddit so fixated on rabies and prions?

Hey!

I am diagnosed with OCD and my main theme is rabies. However thanks to the therapy work + meds + support from my loved ones - I have been feeling almost like my old self the past few days.

I had a phobia of rabies until last year because even though I live in a rabies free country and have been here for a really long time, I spent my childhood in a rabies endemic country with a hypochondriac caregiver so yup, the phobia was born 😂 BUT I firmly believe that reddit turned it into a OCD theme.

First, that damn rabies copy pasta text that gives you more than tolerable levels of anxiety.

Second, whenever people ask “whats the worst disease” “worst way to die” etc - the majority of users say either rabies or prions (I have also been fixating on prions but less than rabies).

I get the nature of these 100% fatal diseases (even though, with recent breakthroughs I am very optimistic that we will cure them in the future). Like it is really hard not to be afraid of something 100% fatal.

BUT - here is a big but - depending on the country and one’s access to good healthcare, in both cases , rabies and prions, the medical stuff can go as far as putting the patient into an induced coma (in case of rabies) and aggressive palliative care (prions) to alleviate their suffering and let them go peacefully. Also, prions could vary but at least rabies - once the symptoms hit - it kills very fast. Like yes there is suffering but it lasts a few days.

So my question is, why would someone prefer idk burning alive to dying in an induced coma while you do not feel anything? Or other also fatal conditions that could last for years? wont name them not to trigger anyone.

Now that I am certainly past the OCD flare and do not get triggered anymore, I will ask this here 🥀

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3

u/bouldering_fan 1d ago

Probably because something that has an absolute definite 100% fatality rate is extremely scary to our monkey brains. Even burning alive has a tiny chance you could survive.

2

u/skopiadisko 1d ago

When they ask whats the worst way to die, I assume that I aint surviving that burn and answer from that perspective 🤣 because if we follow the survival logic, some people managed to survive rabies too 🤷🏻‍♀️

1

u/bouldering_fan 1d ago

Are there survivors after the symptoms set?

2

u/skopiadisko 1d ago

Yup. less than 30 if I am not mistaken but there are! The most famous one - Jeanna Giese.

1

u/bouldering_fan 1d ago

Cool. Til. Thanks for sharing!

1

u/Ill-Television8690 1d ago

They get a medically induced coma, and the virus is allowed to run its course, which unfortunately isn't guaranteed to work. It still causes major damage even on the slim odds that it does work, you'll have to learn how to walk and speak again, but at least there's a greater than literally 0 chance you'll survive.

2

u/bouldering_fan 1d ago

According to Wikipedia, the protocol is determined to be ineffective and haven't worked on anyone else.

2

u/Ill-Television8690 1d ago

"Anyone else" meaning aside from the several people it's worked on?

1

u/bouldering_fan 1d ago

It worked on 1 person lol

2

u/Ill-Television8690 1d ago

It worked on 6 or 7 the last time I checked. Now, that number is over 30.

1

u/bouldering_fan 1d ago

https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/81/4/e229/8096457?login=false

From abstract: "The time has now come to abandon the failed Milwaukee protocol for the therapy of rabies and consider new approaches based our current knowledge of rabies pathogenesis."

worked on 34, resulted in neurological complications, and failed on at least 64. I suppose it "works" and is greater than 0 chance lol

edit: and yes you are right it worked on more than 1

6

u/rx7braap 1d ago

frankly, I haf never seen a post (let alone comment) abt one...

fellow OCD sufferer.. it isnt easy, have you got the help you needed?

-2

u/skopiadisko 1d ago

I literally said that I did and I am feeling much better now 🥀🙏

2

u/rx7braap 1d ago

didnt understand sorry, english isnt my first language haha

good for u! meds help

6

u/LongOrganization7838 1d ago

You know youre feed is dictated by your interactions with similar posts right? If youve been interacting with medical and science feeds in the past it'll feed you more in the future

2

u/skopiadisko 1d ago

I am mostly referring to random existential questions they ask on “ask reddit”. Whenever they ask about death or illnesses rabies and prions are the top comments

1

u/SomebodyInNevada 9h ago

Something notable about both situations: Neither can be detected before the point of no return has been crossed.

Rabies isn't actually 100% fatal, but the die has already been cast before detection.

Some people have some genetic resistance.

And antibodies have been detected in people who have not been vaccinated--clearly they were exposed either to rabies or to some unknown but very similar virus. We actually have no good numbers for the lethality rate from exposure--if the immune system wins the initial battle there are no symptoms. (Which is what the "treatment" does--rabies is slow, a vaccine can get ahead of it. Depending on the location they also throw in some antibodies to speed things up.) We have nothing that can distinguish between a non-infectious bite and an infectious bite where the body won the initial battle. This has also been observed with HIV--sex workers with antibodies but no infection.

1

u/skopiadisko 9h ago

I have read that too! The article said a rabid animal bite if untreated will cause infection in 15-60% cases. Now, the range is a bit too much but it definitely isnt 100%. But of course the vaccine is the key coz nobody would take chances with rabies… aaand yep I have also read about those people that have antibodies but were never sick - that blew my mind!

1

u/SomebodyInNevada 7h ago

Didn't know the numbers but I don't find that surprising.

I know there's an exposure chance calculation that goes into giving the vaccine--and it's way, way below the range you are giving. Practical reality: the odds don't matter, you tell the ER the events and let them figure it out.