Rabid Vampires | National Geographic

under the influence of rabies even
docile animals often become dangerously
aggressive and bite without provocation
since the virus often concentrates in
the saliva of the infected animal a
single bite can pass it on directly into
the blood of the victim even a family
dog or cat can become a furious agent of
death but no one in hot to Molino had
seen any trace of a ferocious animal
wild or domestic
neither Marjory nor Emerson reported any
attack their bodies showed no evidence
of bite wounds
how did they get infected
the autopsy revealed a clue a particular
type of rabies virus in addition to
classic rabies there’s another less
common form of the virus called dumb
rabies it has a distinct set of symptoms
and they matched the children’s exactly
this was the virus found in Marjorie’s
brain different species of animals carry
different strains of rabies near Hutton
Molino
there’s only one creature known to carry
dumb rabies that stealthy enough to bite
into living flesh without alerting its
prey a creature that lives in legends
and nightmares
the vampire bats
vampire bats are unique to Latin America
but they’re famous won’t lied and for
their gruesome diet fresh flowing blood
the bats have specialized teeth that
lack and them also they can be kept
razor sharp and project forward for easy
cutting
with incredible precision the vampire
makes a small slice in the victims skin
usually while it sleeps most never feel
a thing
this might explain why Emerson and
Margery never knew they had been bitten
the back then uses its abrasive tongue
to lap up the blood that flows from the
wound its saliva contains agents that
keep the blood flowing freely spit and
blood often mingle for 25 minutes during
a meal and if the feeding bat as active
rabies it is almost guaranteed that its
host will contract the disease