What is the recommended treatment for a known or suspected rabies exposure?
Modern rabies treatment is highly effective and relatively painless. Post-exposure rabies prophylaxis should begin as soon after exposure as possible. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exposed humans who have not previously been vaccinated against rabies should receive an initial IM injection of Human Rabies Immune Globulin (HRIG), twenty international units per kilogram body weight or nine international units per pound of body weight in total. If anatomically feasible, the full dose of HRIG should be thoroughly infiltrated in the area around and into the wound(s). Any remaining volume should be administered intramuscularly at a site distant from vaccine inoculation. The HRIG is followed by a series of five 1.0 ml of either Imovax (HDCV–a Human Diploid Cell Vaccine) or Rabavert (PCEC–a purified chick embryo cell vaccine). The vaccination series is given on days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28. Vaccines are administered intramuscularly in the deltoid region.
Modern rabies treatment is highly effective and relatively painless. Post-exposure rabies prophylaxis should begin as soon after exposure as possible. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exposed humans who have not previously been vaccinated against rabies should receive an initial IM injection of Human Rabies Immune Globulin (HRIG), twenty international units per kilogram body weight or nine international units per pound of body weight in total. If anatomically feasible, the full dose of HRIG should be thoroughly infiltrated in the area around and into the wound(s). Any remaining volume should be administered intramuscularly at a site distant from vaccine inoculation. The HRIG is followed by a series of five 1.0 ml of either Imovax (HDCV–a Human Diploid Cell Vaccine) or Rabavert (PCEC–a purified chick embryo cell vaccine). The vaccination series is given on days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28. Vaccines are administered intramuscularly in the deltoid region. Persons who ha
