Posted on 01/07/2009 8:50:17 PM PST by EveningStar
The Northern Ireland woman who contracted the rabies virus while working with abandoned animals in South Africa has lost her fight for life.
Lisa McMurray had spent weeks in the Intensive Care Unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital after contracting the deadly disease.
(Excerpt) Read more at belfasttelegraph.co.uk ...
She could have been the 4th survivor in all of recorded history, I suppose.
I think there’s been only one, maybe two cases in history of a person surviving rabies. And I wonder if dogs are the number cause of human infection worldwide. I would think it was bats.
*shrug* We don’t get that many patients to use to develop successful treatments.
The article said she had it for 2 years. I find that hard to believe.
From 1980-2003, 40 cases of human rabies have been documented in the United States by the CDC, although this number is controversial based on questionable cases from other agencies. The animal sources in these cases have included predominantly bats and nondomestic dogs. Other animals rarely include skunks, foxes, and raccoon (one case).
In the 12 cases associated with dogs, actual exposure occurred outside of the United States, most commonly in Mexico. A total of 19 of the 34 reported cases (1997) have been associated with bats.
-snip-
source: emedicine.com
As much as I despise animal rights whackos, rabies is a bad way to die.
Umm. Is there a rabies vacine for people like there is for dogs? I would think an animal handlers in third world counties might want such a shot.
There is but it must be treated immediately.
And why wasn't she vaccinated before leaving for South Africa? Our former vet, who did a lot of work with a wild animal sanctuary was always up to date on his shots. Same with a lot of other vets we've known or used.
Not something for ‘normal’ consumption, but common for years among those at high risk.
There is somewhat of a shortage, but as of June 2008:
Due to the limited supplies, distribution of vaccine for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PreP) will be approved by state and federal public health authorities after consultation with Public Health. Priority will be given for those individuals at greatest rabies exposure risk (e.g., rabies laboratory workers, animal control officers, veterinary staff, wildlife workers).
I’m a dog groomer and our “salon manager” is all pissy because I reported her for booking dog groomings on the same day the dog got vaccinated.Up hers, let her get rabies, not me. I’ve done this work for 30+ years, and I’ve been hours away from starting the shots. Never again.
There is a preventative vaccine before exposure, the killed virus, - vets, animal control workers, spelunkers in bat-filled caves get it. And there is another vaccine protocol for unprotected exposure - immune globulin and then a series of killed virus.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/680385
Study pulled out of the google hat about rabies vaccines for humans.
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