Treating rabies without vaccination

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

According to new research, it is possible to treat rabies, for the first time, without vaccination.
Till now, no-one who developed rabies has ever survived unless they had a dose of vaccine. Rabies is a viral disease which can be caught by exposure to certain animals, such as bats. Thousands of people have to be treated with vaccine each year in the USA because of such exposure; a few die, because they don't get the vaccine in time.

Now a 16 year old girl from Wisconsin has survived an attack of rabies through being given intensive care, using medication but not the vaccine. Once the disease develops, the vaccine is no longer effective. It is hoped that the regime used in this case might help to treat others where it is too late to give the rabies vaccine. Meanwhile, be aware - and do not handle bats and seek prompt medical attention if you receive a wound from any animal.

Source
New England Journal of Medicine 16th June 2005