I read some time ago that a rabies infection can be dormant for years.

I'm not sure of the reliability of this source.

"But studies have shown it lying dormant for five days to several years before the symptoms kicked in. So not only won't you know you have the disease, it might not come to bite you in the ass for a couple of years, long after the animal that caused it has laughed itself to death."

https://www.cracked.com/blog/quarantined-6-things-you-learn-...

Maybe this is more reliable.

"In rare cases, it can vary from 10 days to 2 years."

https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/rabies.html

This doesn't answer my question, sadly. From the article we see that two of the people that died knew they touched a bat. How many don't know they touched a bat?