Human-to-Human Transmission
Humans are mammals. Therefore, theoretically,
human-to-human rabies transmission is possible.
However, there are no laboratory-tested cases to
confirm that this has actually happened. But there
have been 8 confirmed cases of death due to
human-to-human rabies transmissions resulting
from cornea transplants. Because these deaths
were medically confirmed, there are now improved
guidelines to screen organ donors for the rabies
virus.
Dracula
The following passage is from Bram Stoker's
classic tale of horror,
Dracula, written in 1897:
"Dr. Vincent took the bandage from its throat, and
showed us the punctures. There was no mistaking
the similarity to those which had been on Lucy's
throat. They were smaller, and the edges looked
fresher; that was all.
We asked Vincent to what
he attributed them, and he replied that it must
have been the bite of some animal…he was
inclined to think it was one of the bats which are
so numerous..."
Many film versions of Stoker's book have made
Dracula's long black cape and habit of prowling
around at night in search of victims common
knowledge. Even little kids have their own
educational version of Dracula—The Count on
Sesame Street. But these days this paragraph
from Bram Stoker's book has an eerie ring of truth.
Of the 32 human rabies cases reported between
1990 and 2000, 24 were caused by contact with
bats, making bats a major concern when it comes
to rabies and humans. Because bat teeth are
small, bite marks are small as well. And bat bites
don't hurt as much as a bite from other, bigger
animals, so they have been known to go undetected.
