BACKGROUND: There is little published information available describing rabies pre- and postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) in tourists returning to their home country and seeking care for animal-associated injuries, especially those associated with a rabies risk. METHOD: We analyzed 261 travelers seeking care on returning to their home country following an animal-related injury acquired abroad. Information on individual cases of rabies (PEP) including preexposure status, type of contact with a potentially rabid animal, type of animal, and the nature of rabies PEP was collected by retrospectively analyzing records from May 1997 to May 2005. RESULTS: The majority of injuries were acquired in South-east Asia and North Africa. Only 6.8% of injured patients were previously vaccinated against rabies, while 75.4% of the cohort experienced a severe injurious contact with animals (World Health Organization category III). Of travelers who sustained a high-risk injury, only 24% received both vaccination and rabies immune globulin,(RIG) while 76% received vaccination only. Of the travelers who did not receive RIG, 43% had received a first dose of vaccine more than 7 days after return and before presenting to a clinic in their home country. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights important deficiencies in rabies PEP for travelers who acquire high-risk, animal-associated injuries in rabies-endemic countries, with the majority not receiving adequate PEP or experiencing a substantial delay before receiving rabies vaccination.
BACKGROUND: There is little published information available describing rabies pre- and postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) in tourists returning to their home country and seeking care for animal-associated injuries, especially those associated with a rabies risk. METHOD: We analyzed 261 travelers seeking care on returning to their home country following an animal-related injury acquired abroad. Information on individual cases of rabies (PEP) including preexposure status, type of contact with a potentially rabid animal, type of animal, and the nature of rabies PEP was collected by retrospectively analyzing records from May 1997 to May 2005. RESULTS: The majority of injuries were acquired in South-east Asia and North Africa. Only 6.8% of injured patients were previously vaccinated against rabies, while 75.4% of the cohort experienced a severe injurious contact with animals (World Health Organization category III). Of travelers who sustained a high-risk injury, only 24% received both vaccination and rabies immune globulin,(RIG) while 76% received vaccination only. Of the travelers who did not receive RIG, 43% had received a first dose of vaccine more than 7 days after return and before presenting to a clinic in their home country. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights important deficiencies in rabies PEP for travelers who acquire high-risk, animal-associated injuries in rabies-endemic countries, with the majority not receiving adequate PEP or experiencing a substantial delay before receiving rabies vaccination.
Authors: Samantha B Dolan; Emily S Jentes; Mark J Sotir; Pauline Han; Jesse D Blanton; Sowmya R Rao; Regina C LaRocque; Edward T Ryan; George M Abraham; Salvador Alvarez; Vernon Ansdell; Johnnie A Yates; Elisha H Atkins; John Cahill; Holly K Birich; Dagmar Vitek; Bradley A Connor; Roberta Dismukes; Phyllis Kozarsky; Rone Dosunmu; Jeffrey A Goad; Stefan Hagmann; DeVon Hale; Noreen A Hynes; Frederique Jacquerioz; Susan McLellan; Mark Knouse; Jennifer Lee; Regina C LaRocque; Edward T Ryan; Alawode Oladele; Hanna Demeke; Roger Pasinski; Amy E Wheeler; Sowmya R Rao; Jessica Rosen; Brian S Schwartz; William Stauffer; Patricia Walker; Joseph Vinetz Journal: Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis Date: 2013-12-20 Impact factor: 2.133
Authors: P Meyerhoff; S Manekeller; N Saleh; C Boesecke; S Schlabe; J C Wasmuth; K van Bremen; A M Eis-Hübinger; J von Fischer-Treuenfeld; T Menting; J K Rockstroh; C Schwarze-Zander Journal: Epidemiol Infect Date: 2021-03-18 Impact factor: 2.451
Authors: Myung Guk Han; Ryou Jung Sang; Young Eui Jeong; Young Ran Ju; Jung Eun Cho; Jun-Sun Park Journal: Osong Public Health Res Perspect Date: 2012-03