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March/April 2000 issue	In this issue Table of Contents Editor’s Notebook Inside Story Feature: Raccoons Curious by nature

Human vaccination
There is no treatment for human rabies once symptoms develop, so medical attention must be sought promptly after possible exposure to the virus. There are two basic strategies for rabies vaccination: pre-exposure and post-exposure.

Pre-exposure vaccination is ordinarily administered to people in high-risk groups such as veterinarians, animal handlers, or wildlife officers. People travelling to high risk destinations should also consider such vaccination. (For more information, see Travel Health Online.) The vaccine is generally administered by injection in three doses, on days 0, 7 and 21 or 28. If the risk of exposure to rabies continues, a single booster shot can be administered every two years to ensure that an adequate quantity of antibodies remain.

Pre-exposure vaccine does not eliminate the need to seek treatment when exposed to rabies. However, the pre-exposure vaccination reduces the number of post-exposure doses from five to two, and will allow for a greater time between exposure and treatment.

Post-exposure vaccine is administered to those already exposed to the virus. People who have received pre-exposure vaccine will require two doses, on days 0 and 3, but those who have not received pre-exposure vaccine will require five doses of post-exposure vaccine, usually on days 0, 3, 7, 14, and 28.

If bitten by a potentially rabid animal, health officials recommend you wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water and seek prompt medical attention.

You can help your doctor by taking note of the following information:

• the location of the incident
• the type of animal involved
• whether the exposure was provoked or unprovoked
• whether the animal has been vaccinated
• whether the animal can be safely captured and tested for rabies

Domestic animal vaccination
Domestic animals such as dogs, cats and ferrets should be vaccinated for rabies at three months. Animals will need regular booster shots, and may have to be re-vaccinated if they are overdue for booster shots.

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