Rabid - 04/20/21

 Hello Dog Lovers, 

Book 26: Rabid: A Cultural History of the World's Most Diabolical Virus (8/10)

Premise: The history of the Rabies virus and how it has affected the culture, social, and pets around the world. 

This book is a wild ride. It includes Vampires, Werewolves, Zombies, Edgar Allen Poe, Greek myths, and Old Yeller. Rabies is a horrible virus that has nearly 100% kill rate when people and animals get it. Even though many animals can get it, this book puts most of it's focus on dogs. Why? Maybe the cultural influence of Old Yeller, or perhaps because in many other countries dogs are not treated with the same "part of the family" mentality as in other countries and are often kept outside full time and not vaccinated which can cause them to catch and spread rabies. 

I will say I found how Rabies and rabidity in general finding it's way into cultural through books, movies, and tv was the most interesting. As far back as the Greek epics they used descriptions of rabidity in their stories. The author also talks about how it is very possible it either was the origin or influenced Vampires, Zombies, and Werewolves. How Edgar Allen Poe may have had the virus when he died, and many other parts of Rabies and rabidity place in media. 

He also talked a good bit about the hydrophobia (fear of water) that comes with Rabies. Through accounts of people who wanted to drink water but their bodies would not let them. The struggle of knowing you will die, and the minuscule amount even modern medicine can do to cure this disease. The best we can do is to vaccinate against it. 

So get your shots so you don't catch a virus. 

and remember dear readers, Stay Vivid.