title: Management of rabies in humans.
abstract: Rabies is a fatal disease in humans, and, to date, the only survivors of the disease have received rabies vaccine before the onset of illness. The approach to management of the rabies normally should be palliative. In unusual circumstances, a decision may be made to use an aggressive approach to therapy for patients who present at an early stage of clinical disease. No single therapeutic agent is likely to be effective, but a combination of specific therapies could be considered, including rabies vaccine, rabies immunoglobulin, monoclonal antibodies, ribavirin, interferon-alpha, and ketamine. Corticosteroids should not be used. As research advances, new agents may become available in the future for the treatment of human rabies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 2V7. jacksona@post.queensu.ca
authors.forename: Alan C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Mary J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Warrell
authors.forename: Charles E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Rupprecht
authors.forename: Hildegund C J
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Ertl
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dietzschold
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Reilly
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Leach
authors.forename: Zhen F
authors.initials: ZF
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Wunner
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Bleck
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wilde
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects; D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007649:Ketamine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051379:Mice; D010166:Palliative Care; D011818:Rabies / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D011819:Rabies Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012254:Ribavirin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011819:Rabies Vaccines; D012254:Ribavirin; D007649:Ketamine