Amy A Neilson1, Cora A Mayer. 1. Department of Emergency Medicine, Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital, Queensland. amy.a.neilson@gmail.com
Abstract
UNLABELLED: This article forms part of our travel medicine series for 2010, providing a summary of prevention strategies and vaccination for infections that may be acquired by travellers. The series aims to provide practical strategies to assist general practitioners in giving travel advice, as a synthesis of multiple information sources which must otherwise be consulted. BACKGROUND: Rabies is an acute, almost invariably fatal, progressive encephalomyelitis caused by neurotropic lyssaviruses of the Rhabdoviridae family. OBJECTIVE: Rabies prevention, vaccines and postexposure prophylaxis are discussed, and information regarding vaccines, immunoglobulin products and vaccine regimens that may be encountered overseas is also given. DISCUSSION: Rabies viruses are present in most parts of the world, although it is mainly a problem in developing countries with more than 50,000 people dying from rabies each year, usually after a dog bite. All travellers require education regarding rabies prevention if travelling to an endemic area, and those at high risk of exposure should be offered pre-exposure vaccination.
UNLABELLED: This article forms part of our travel medicine series for 2010, providing a summary of prevention strategies and vaccination for infections that may be acquired by travellers. The series aims to provide practical strategies to assist general practitioners in giving travel advice, as a synthesis of multiple information sources which must otherwise be consulted. BACKGROUND: Rabies is an acute, almost invariably fatal, progressive encephalomyelitis caused by neurotropic lyssaviruses of the Rhabdoviridae family. OBJECTIVE: Rabies prevention, vaccines and postexposure prophylaxis are discussed, and information regarding vaccines, immunoglobulin products and vaccine regimens that may be encountered overseas is also given. DISCUSSION: Rabies viruses are present in most parts of the world, although it is mainly a problem in developing countries with more than 50,000 people dying from rabies each year, usually after a dog bite. All travellers require education regarding rabies prevention if travelling to an endemic area, and those at high risk of exposure should be offered pre-exposure vaccination.
Authors: Emma K Quinn; Peter D Massey; Keren Cox-Witton; Beverley J Paterson; Keith Eastwood; David N Durrheim Journal: BMC Vet Res Date: 2014-07-02 Impact factor: 2.741