As much of the population of Maine (New Hampshire, too) live in very rural settings, it should not come as much of a surprise that thousands of people encounter wild animals on a daily basis.  Deer, foxes, bears, moose, feral cats, and more.  Most of the time, the critters we encounter are healthy.  Sometimes, this is not the case, though.

When a person does come in contact with a potentially sick animal, they are often put on a prophylactic treatment program.  Patients are given a series of shots intended to prevent the person from getting rabies.  As you probably know, once you have rabies, it is basically a death sentence.

Recently, a Reddit user from Maine posted about the cost of the rabies prophylactic treatments their child had after coming in contact with a potentially sick animal.

Posting a picture of her insurance statement, user flopplesmirken explained that the cost for the medication alone was nearly $18,000!  On top of that, there would be fees for the medical personnel involved, the needed PPE, etc.

Fortunately, it looks as though the poster only had to pay about $300 out of pocket.  However, depending on where you are financially, this could still be a ton of cash.

The moral of the story?  Teach your children to never go near wild or strange animals!

However, if you are concerned you may have come into contact with a rabid animal, make sure you go to the hospital or call your doctor.  Once you start showing symptoms, it is too late.

According to Wikipedia, rabies is a virus that causes inflammation in the brains of humans and other animals.  Typically, it is spread through the saliva of an infected animal.  As a result, it can be transmitted through a bite, scratch, or through the saliva coming in contact with an open wound or other opening (nose, eyes, mouth).

It is almost 100% fatal.  As of 2016, only fourteen people had survived a rabies infection after showing symptoms.  Sadly, about 59,000 people worldwide still die of it each year.

Here Are 17 Things In Maine That Will Bite You

Here in Maine, there are plenty of critters that can take a bite out of you if they do desire.

More From 92 Moose