"Not feeling pain, running a mild fever, and dreading the touch of holy water means you're turning into a vampire and if you tell your parents, they will stop it," the boy told his friend firmly.

Squirrels are not common carriers of rabies: once they contract it they usually don't live long enough to pass it on. You need something tougher, like a raccoon, or a dog, although bats are good vectors - again, predators, not prey.