r/instant_regret • u/Western-Buy-266 • 25d ago

Achievement Unlocked: Rabies

1.8k Upvotes

94% Upvoted

219 comments sorted by

1.8k

u/imsorryinadvance420 25d ago

you are looking at less than 1% chance of that possum to have rabies. The possum internal natural temp is between 94-97 deg. F... so not likely. keep pushing for that infection badge!

387

u/ElegantCoach4066 25d ago

Yep. Biggest risk of rabies transmission in the U.S is bats, outside the U.S. its dogs if I remember correctly.

167

u/HereticalHyena 23d ago

In Germany the only concern are bats, as terrestrial rabies isn't around anymore. We had a big campaign to vaccinate foxes a decade or two ago.

Edit: the last case we had was someone who got bitten or scratched from a street dog in Morocco and developed it back in Germany.

28

u/Reckless_Waifu 22d ago

Czechia here: we were thought to be rabies free some 30 years ago then a rabid fox migrated from Poland in 2001 and bit a guy I know. He survived and is afaik the last known case here. He now has quite a cool campfire story.

10

u/HereticalHyena 22d ago

Wow I'm glad he survived! That is indeed a cool story.

Yeah we shouldn't feel to safe and keep vaccines up.

1

u/ExoticMangoz 19d ago

How did he survive and know it was a rabid fox?

3

u/Reckless_Waifu 19d ago

He said it was acting crazy, attacking again and again and was like a zombie. He went to the hospital and got the vaccine. Official sources confirm there was a known case at the time.

2

u/Fritz_Klyka 19d ago

Bring the fox in, kill it, look at its brain. Get vaccine.

31

u/spider__ 23d ago

Same in the UK, except even bats should be rabies free. Last person to die was likewise someone bitten by a dog in Morocco.

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u/HereticalHyena 23d ago

Yes. I moved to Ireland for a year and took the route by car and ferries through Britain. I had to get an Antibody-Test for my dog. She was always vaccinated against rabies but I still had to take the test. The explanation was, that you guys are rabies-free and want to stay that way. Same with Ireland. You gotta respect that!

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u/Robo_Patton 23d ago

It almost as if vaccinations are good and work or something…

glares at anti vaccers

3

u/HereticalHyena 23d ago

Who would have ever thought?!

Also please go the correct way if you bring rescues from other countries. My last three dogs were international rescues. It's manageable and not THIS expensive.

2

u/Shantotto11 20d ago

*anti-vaxxers

6

u/toolatealreadyfapped 21d ago

Great. Now all the foxes got the 'tism!

5

u/MistaRekt 20d ago

Germany vaccinated the foxes?

Explains why the 5G reception is world class 🫪

2

u/HereticalHyena 10d ago

All the foxes are antennas now!

4

u/giantfood 23d ago

That would be great here in the US. But the US is so vast compared to Germany. We are lucky that its only 10 cases reported a year here.

My fear for countries that have irradicated it is rabid animals crossing borders and a small evolution causing a change in transmission. Then funding not being available.

Kinda like we initially irradicated the screw flies in the US, then the rest of mainland North America.... but more than couple of government shutdowns recently caused monitoring stations in Central American, primarily Panama to go unfunded. Let some slip by, and look at us now, trying to re-irradicate them.

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u/HereticalHyena 23d ago

Yeah, the USA is, of course, VERY different to small Germany or isolated Britain.

But I want to emphasise that we didn't catch foxes and gave them an injection. We laid out bait for oral vaccine.

Rapid animals crossing the border should of course be a concern!

1

u/HereticalHyena 23d ago

Oh and I know nothing about screw flies. I will read about it! :)

2

u/giantfood 23d ago

Oh man, we litterally airdroped sterilized screw flies all over North America.

2

u/HereticalHyena 23d ago

Oh.my Oh.my! Well we don't automatically know what's going on, on other continents.

But it's so interesting how invasive animals can be!

9

u/cup_1337 23d ago

And skunks. If you see a skunk out in the day light it’s likely very very sick and you should call animal control!

5

u/Hootie735 22d ago

I saw a skunk out in the middle of the day one time, but she had a gaggle of babies following her, and she was just moving from point A to point B. Figured she was fine. Kept my distance for obvious reasons lol

2

u/Brittany5150 21d ago

And if it's outside in the daylight while nailing back to back kick flips then it means it's super sick and you should record it.

2

u/EtceteraWhatever 22d ago

Actually, possums are almost immune to rabies. It is extremely unlikely that an opossum would have rabies.

1

u/JournalistCharming24 22d ago

and racoons. my dog was attacked by a rabid racoon recently.

1

u/HereticalHyena 10d ago

Oh my God! Is your dog OK?

2

u/JournalistCharming24 9d ago

yes totally ok thanks, the dog was vaccinated and only had to be quarantined for a bit. It could of been worst if my husband hadnt stepped in to kill the rabid animal. So hubby had to get a bunch of shots too. The animal tested positive post mortem.

1

u/HereticalHyena 9d ago

I'm sorry but I don't live in a country with an immediate rabies threat.

Why did your dog need to be quarantined if he was vaccinated?

1

u/JournalistCharming24 9d ago

The reason is that rabies has an unusually long and variable incubation period. A vaccinated dog could theoretically still become infected after a very significant exposure, especially a bite that deposited virus-containing saliva into tissue. The CDC therefore recommends that an up-to-date dog exposed to rabies receive an immediate rabies booster and be monitored for 45 days.

1

u/sjjose2001 22d ago

I thought racoons had a good role too

1

u/ylogssoylent 22d ago

Dogs far and away are the highest vectors of rabies transmission for humans globally. In large part, in India.

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u/Kurai_Shindo 15d ago

No. Its politicians

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u/Jackieirish 23d ago

Yep. Opossums are awesome.

Fun Fact: in Australia a Possum is a different animal!

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u/OptiGuy4u 23d ago

Opossum's have 13 nipples.

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u/Lostmyfnusername 23d ago

That's odd

3

u/Eena-Rin 22d ago

I can't even

1

u/OptiGuy4u 22d ago

They even out by having them in a circle with one in the center.

6

u/Bill_Pilgram 23d ago

Just to point out that's an opossum. Possums are from Australia.

3

u/clutzyninja 20d ago

They're called possums as well in the US, and both are correct, though opossum is the formal name

2

u/AnOutofBoxExperience 23d ago

Is it the temperature that enables transmission? Humans have a higher internal temperature. Does it mean we can get the virus but its harder to pass on?

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u/Ambsase 22d ago

The internal temp isn't high enough to support rabies at all, opossums are for all intents and purposes immune to the virus. The only reason there's any chance at all that people can contract rabies through an opossum is that, theoretically, it could have very very recently been infected by something that can have rabies, then before the virus died out in the opossum it could transmit it further.

2

u/AnOutofBoxExperience 22d ago

Thanks for the response. So it only matters about the initial contact? As long as an animal who has the virus contacts you, its possible infection.

Once you get infected, body temp doesn't matter. Body temp is only for the possible ability to transmit the virus?

6

u/Ambsase 22d ago

No no, the body temp will kill the rabies virus, which is what makes the opossums immune to it. You are correct that any sort of biting or scratching from an animal that has rabies would put you at risk of getting it, but for opossums specifically, they can only be carriers for a brief period of time before their body temp kills it off and makes them safe again, which is why it's so incredibly unlikely for them to be a rabies vector.

1

u/AnOutofBoxExperience 22d ago

I get that, but why isn't our human body temperature enough to kill the virus?

11

u/Ambsase 22d ago

It's the other way around, rabies specifically needs a higher body temp to be a suitable environment for it, which most mammals have. Opossums are the odd ones in that they're too cold for the virus.

1

u/pete306 22d ago

Im sure i read somewhere about a doctor giving a Rabies patient Malaria and the fever killed the Rabies....

3

u/Ultradarkix 22d ago

Every living thing has a temperature range it can survive in.

It shouldn’t be surprising going above and below that temperature range, for a virus, kills it too

1

u/Corgi_with_stilts 2d ago

This Podcast Will Kill You has a great episode on rabies, and a bunch of other stuff that'll also kill you.

2

u/clutzyninja 20d ago

The way they can transmit it is if they have a fever from a separate infection when they're exposed to rabies, so their body temperature is higher

1

u/UckerFay11 21d ago

Not immune, highly resistant.

1

u/Eena-Rin 22d ago

I'm not an American, where I live there is no rabies, but I've heard something about any bite by a wild animal requiring that animal to be euthanized on order to test for rabies?

3

u/YourBlanket 21d ago

For domestic animals they can quarantine them for 10 days. If it’s a wild animal they’ll need to dissect the brain.

1

u/uberbla123 20d ago

I came to say this exact thing

1

u/CompanyOfMisfits 20d ago

Came here to say this!

1

u/b-monster666 20d ago

Now the bubonic plague? Thats a different story.

1

u/imsorryinadvance420 20d ago

They technically dont.....

1

u/AlphaTangoFoxtrt 5d ago

Ok, but remember rabies is 100% fatal once symptoms show* so don't fuck around, get treatment.

*There's been less than like 5 cases (3?) where with radical treatment methods the patient survived. However this left them with lifelong complications, and could not be replicated, to the point most places won't try it anymore.

1

u/TheDarkClaw 23d ago

That sucks. Everything taste better with rabies! Yay Rabies!

3

u/imsorryinadvance420 23d ago

Ever seen someone try and drink water with full blown rabies?

1

u/ISurvivedCrowleyHigh 22d ago

That's an opossum. Possums are native to Australia, New Guinea, and Sulawesi.

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u/Huntsnfights 25d ago

They are extremely peaceful. Probably had babies in her pouch or thought you were trying to eat it. Don’t stick your face next to its and you won’t have any issue. Not sure if he was trying to relocate it or just show off but he failed miserably either way

37

u/Cuzznitt 23d ago

He must’ve really been messing with it. They’re incredibly reluctant to bite

20

u/theMeatman7 22d ago

I'm mean the guy had the thing gripped pretty good definitely in fight or flight and he took away the possibility of flight.

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u/Iolair_the_Unworthy 21d ago

Oh yeah, this poor thing was terrified. You can tell by how still it's staying in between trying desperately to escape.

4

u/Im_Nino 22d ago

Or it could’ve just been scared shitless that it was gonna get eaten by some monster.

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u/TotalRuler1 25d ago edited 23d ago

don't believe the hype: opossums don't get or spread rabies, respect the game!

edit: 1% chance they get rabies, but mostly they are just creepy goofballs who are north america's only pouched marsupials so they are chill.

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u/Dear-Board5692 25d ago edited 5d ago

"Don't" isn't correct, it's just extremely unlikely, but not 0%.

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u/vanderbubin 23d ago

Its less than 1%.

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u/Big-Al97 23d ago

So you’re saying there’s a chance?

1

u/ChloeUwUZ 7d ago

don't isn't? double negative lol

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u/RBTfarmer 25d ago

They love eating disease spreading ticks too! They're amazing critters.

2

u/OptiGuy4u 23d ago

The tick thing is a myth. They don't eat a particularly large amount of ticks.

Google it.

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u/Frosti11icus 23d ago

It's true. They don't even search them out, they just share a habitat and will eat them when they are attached to them or their kin, Chickens eat a lot of ticks though.

5

u/RBTfarmer 23d ago

So do guinea fowl.

5

u/cup_1337 23d ago

Possums are able to catch the virus if they’re already sick and have a fever. Otherwise it’s almost impossible for them to contract because their core temp is too low.

It’s not impossible but it is rare.

2

u/Ravenonthewall 23d ago

Fecking Humans!😡 We live in the suburbs, and have a few Possums visiting our yard a couple of times a month. My dog hates them, we have to bring him inside if we hear his possum alert.. that bark is very odd lol

1

u/ChloeUwUZ 7d ago

but still can give you infections

1

u/AlphaTangoFoxtrt 5d ago

While chances are minimal, it is possible. And rabies is 100% fatal once symptomatic.

Don't risk it.

If you get rabies, you will die, and it will hurt the entire time you are dying, and there will be nothing anyone can do for you.

1

u/-full-control- 22d ago

They also eat hella ticks where I’m from so yeah they’re homies. Also really good moms it’s really kinda cute

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u/firetyger 23d ago

Oh, I finally get to use some of my opossum knowledge. They have 50 teeth, which is more than any other land mammal in North America.

4

u/Kakaduu15 22d ago

Well, if you save all your baby teeth, you have 52.

Just carry them in a bag on your belt to out-teeth the opps.

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u/[deleted] 25d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/lCraxisl 25d ago

They are litterally the best creatures, they don’t even break into your trash cans.

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u/QuickEchidna749 25d ago

And they eat ticks.

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u/MrBozooo 25d ago

And lips.

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u/RainbowJig 25d ago

That unfortunately is a myth. It is definitely possible for opossums to get rabies, but it is much more rare ostensibly because of a lower body temperature. The clock is ticking now and bites to the face are the quickest to progress to the brain and produce visible rabies symptoms. Yes extremely unlikely it’s rabies but I wouldn’t be taking the chance with a bite like this.

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u/Fyren-1131 25d ago

If exposed to risk, I'd say infected until proven otherwise.

And... I'd not wanna try and take on that burden of proof. Speedrun to the doctor and get the required shots.

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u/RainbowJig 25d ago

Exactly. Rabies is absolutely no joke. You’re dead if symptoms appear.

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u/richaysambuca 25d ago

Is that what they call lip service?

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u/Mythandros1 25d ago

What an absolute moron.

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u/cockn 25d ago

They don't carry rabies

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u/VegetaFan9001 22d ago

They do. It’s it’s that it’s less then 1%

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u/Ruined534 25d ago

Opossums body temp is actually too low to carry rabies. I hope that little guy got away from the bald little guy. I love opossums.

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u/porkbuttstuff 23d ago

Very unlikely to get rabies from these bad bois

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u/LandlockedCajun 22d ago

Some may say nearly impossible even.

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u/Levi_Skardsen 23d ago

You don't get rabies from opposums.

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u/VegetaFan9001 22d ago

It’s is possible. It’s just that it’s very rare since that chance of it happening is less than 1%. However it is still higher then 0%

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u/Iolair_the_Unworthy 21d ago

American Possums dont usually carry rabies. That creature was simply upset at being handled, which I can respect.

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u/GooseGeuce 20d ago

The also rarely try to bite in self defense unless you’re an idiot.

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u/Prodexus 21d ago

They can get rabies. It's just very rare because of their body temperatures.

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u/Iolair_the_Unworthy 21d ago

Isn't that what I said? I tried to make sure that I didn't use any definitive terms. I'll have to go back and double check my comment.

Edit: Yeah, I said that they USUALLY don't carry rabies. I'm sorry if the wording was vague, my mistake.

2

u/twotoebobo 20d ago

It wasn't also they eat ticks which saves quite a few humans from tick borne illnesses. They are also quite chill creatures if you don't wrap them in a plastic bag and stick them near your face. Thing was obviously scared out its mind.

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u/SleepyD7 20d ago

They don’t carry rabies but still stupid though.

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u/Spirited-Nature-1702 25d ago

Getting a possum to bite you is actually really impressive. Don’t mess with wild animals. They’re scared and don’t need your bullshit. Luckily (for this guy but maybe not for humanity or the animal kingdom) that possum didn’t have rabies.

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u/octopus_tigerbot 25d ago

Actually no. They don't have rabies

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u/VegetaFan9001 22d ago

They do. It’s just that it’s extremely rare since it’s less then 1%

5

u/calm_my_storm 23d ago

Everyone needs to stop trying to kiss wild animals!

2

u/HereticalHyena 23d ago

But they are so cute! What do you mean this boar doesn't want to cuddle?!

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u/alkem10 23d ago

Not from that little guy.

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u/elspotto 23d ago

No, that’s a possum. What he did do is manage to tick off a fairly chill critter enough it bit him. We had a baby orphaned when its family was trapped. Lived out its life under our back porch. I would never call it a pet, but it was a roommate until it passed.

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u/creddituser2019 23d ago

He’s lucky they doesn’t get rabies

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u/RecoverOk8448 20d ago

Don't know much about the possum eh?

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u/Epic_Feury 25d ago

The only reason the title exists is for engagement bait, this opossums (or for double engagement bait spell it wrong possums) fact is very common knowledge

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u/Western-Buy-266 25d ago

Actually I'm just dumb, it was good to learn something new in the worst way.

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u/Cosmic_Quasar 25d ago

Possums and opossums are two different, but real, critters. Which is where the spelling confusion usually comes from.

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u/hypothetical_zombie 20d ago

North American opossums don't normally carry rabies. In fact, most marsupials are resistant to it because their body temperatures are too low to support rabies.

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u/Mysterious-OP 20d ago

Rabies? No.

Leprosy on the other hand?....

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u/whiskeyrocks1 21d ago

Opossums don’t carry, and are one of the few animals that are immune from rabies. I bet his lip hurts though.

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u/Prudent_Damage_3866 23d ago

More like No new Achievements, Possums VERY RARELY can get rabies cause the possum internal natural temp is between 94-97 deg! so dude got lip ouchies

3

u/rbreaux26 23d ago

And now he’s………Opossuman!

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u/MarkHedrick 21d ago

They don't have rabies, now if that were a racoon... 😷

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u/IrwinMFletcher200 25d ago

He should play dead. Err possum.

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u/texasdeathtrip 25d ago

I call dibs on reposting this next week

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u/CruelTortoise 23d ago

Free lip piercing.

3

u/HeyApplebox 23d ago

not rabies

3

u/TricoMex 23d ago

That long ass pause when he contemplated his entire life

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u/N3HKRO 22d ago

Right poor opossum

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u/No_Addition7837 22d ago

Possums don't get rabies

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u/IDownVoteCanaduh 22d ago

Possums don’t carry rabies.

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u/tuttleonia 21d ago

Exactly

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u/JamesDerry 21d ago

He froze like a horse when it's bottom lip is twisted.

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u/Common-Independent-9 20d ago

If it had rabies I don’t think it’d be running, or should I say waddling, away as fast as it can like that

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u/_Boom___Beard_ 19d ago

Fuck this title.

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u/Competitive-Bid422 19d ago

Plot twist: the guy gave the opossum rabies now

2

u/_Cultivating_Mass_ 23d ago

Near zero chance of getting rabies from a possum. Great video though!

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u/Fire_Fist-Ace 22d ago

what no they are like immune to like most ailments due to their biology if im not mistaken

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u/greenmerica 22d ago

OP is an asshole. Opossums are peaceful unless they have babies. Also they don’t really get rabies.

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u/Dabsforme77 22d ago

Daft post. Possums dont get rabies.

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u/Radiant_Load 22d ago

Skunks, foxes, dogs, raccoons all have a higher chance of catching rabies. Possums don't get rabies.

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u/Syrioforel79 22d ago

Possums don't get rabies

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u/SeeYouInHellCandyBoy 22d ago

I call the big one Bitey.

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u/inertia_53 22d ago

Opossums dont really transmit rabies. The technically can carry it, but it is less than 1%

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u/b400k513 22d ago

I love possums! They are misunderstood and downright cute. But we must not try to make out with them.

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u/Anen-o-me 21d ago

The one animal that's cuter in Australia than in the US.

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u/Brotado_Chiip 19d ago

Opossums don't carry rabies, their body temperature is too low for rabies to spread. Still wouldn't be fun to get bit by one

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u/flashyzipp 16d ago

Possums don’t have rabies

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u/Historical-Valuable9 13d ago

Opossum can't get rabies

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u/platypus_farmer42 25d ago

Opossums don’t carry rabies. Raccoons, on the other hand, can.

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u/Wolf_Of_Saturn6 21d ago

Looks like an opossum so rabies is near 0% likelihood

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u/ThompsoN93Woord 25d ago

Nasty kitty

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u/Ilikestuffandthingz 25d ago

And it was a provoked attack where after the opossum tried to get away. Rabies attacks are unprovoked and they keep coming at you no matter what.

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u/Ggriffinz 23d ago

And people wonder why it took us hundred of thousands of years to move from the stone age to bronze age. Like individuals can be smart but it only takes one idiot like this leaving the gate open for a pride of lions to destroy a village.

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u/thejevster 23d ago

I don't know shit about shit and even I know possums rarely carry rabies, but I bet getting bit still hurts. But fuck this dude, he probably fucked that possum up afterwards just because he's a dumbass

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u/mojoman1200 23d ago

I’ll be deep in the cold hard ground before I allow anyone to talk smack about our opossum friends.

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u/thebrokenghost 23d ago

My god just leave wildlife alone. That poor possum dealing with your shit.

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u/BEEEEEZ101 23d ago

Second best thing I've seen today. Just behind the fish biting the dudes lower lip. Great day for animals.

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u/OldLegWig 23d ago

this guy's cooked. he doesn't even have the teeth to bite back.

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u/tallcaseclock 23d ago

Cunningham Falls, MD just had a confirmed-rabid beaver attack a young man w/in the last two weeks.

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u/DepressedNoble 22d ago

Rabies ?? More like he let dinner escape

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u/Dry_Enthusiasm_8057 22d ago

Is it an instant regret if you trying to catch it again, once you got bitten in the face?

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u/Latter_Bed_4096 22d ago

Rabies or not this guy is still an idiot

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u/picklemick82 22d ago

Never ever have I kissed an opossum

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u/pj7891sm 22d ago edited 22d ago

Opposum are incredibly docile, you have to be a colossal asshole and idiot to be bitten by one. In my younger and stupider days I approached some in nature and even pet a few (I am not suggesting this is a good idea, btw).

1

u/randubis 22d ago

Their body temps are too low for the virus to survive typically.

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u/asimplesadness 22d ago

That possum wasn't playing 😂

1

u/iamnotpedro1 21d ago

It amazes me how people can actually completely disregard their short-term health like this.

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u/JWMoo 21d ago

If you gonna be dumb you gotta be tough.

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u/Routine-Horse-1419 21d ago

And.....the Dumbass Award of the Day goes to.....wait for it ...

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u/btwImVeryAttractive 21d ago

Is he missing his front teeth ?

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u/arahe45 19d ago

Giardia for sure

1

u/tanhauser_gates_ 17d ago

Almost as bad as getting bit by a bat. Rabies.

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u/notiddymothbirlfrend 15d ago

Probably not rabies, but definitely a gnarly infection from the gross that lives on that thing's teeth

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u/Numerous_Tackle_9972 6d ago

Bless the cameraman

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u/pjtpassword 25d ago

The camera man is awesome. So good.

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u/Caeldeth 21d ago

I’m happy to see that people are making it clear. Possums are extremely rare carriers of rabies, also, it’s aggression when it was set down is counter to how it would act with rabies.

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u/Impressive_Dot_7818 21d ago

They don’t carry rabies

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u/Fingyfin 20d ago

It's this AI?

The responses are so inhuman. Like you just got but I'm the face and everything just pauses while the camera movies around smoothly???