New purified Vero-cell vaccine prevents rabies in patients bitten by rabid animals.

Journal article

The protective effect of a new, potentially economical tissue-culture rabies vaccine, purified vero-cell rabies vaccine (PVRV), was tested in 106 patients bitten by animals with proven rabies. 0.5 ml PVRV was given intramuscularly on days 0, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 91; 47 patients with severe exposure were also given 20 IU/kg human rabies immune globulin (HRIG). All patients are alive and well after 1 year. Side-effects of treatment were negligible. Rabies neutralising antibody (greater than or equal to 1.6 IU) was demonstrated on day 14 and persisted for 1 year in every case. There was no significant suppression of the antibody response by HRIG. If the untreated mortality is 15%, PVRV is 81% efficient in protecting patients against rabies encephalitis (95% confidence limit). PVRV is likely to replace human diploid-cell strain vaccine as the most widely used tissue-culture rabies vaccine.

Authors: Suntharasamai, P; Warrell, M; Warrell, D; Viravan, C; Looareesuwan, S

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Lancet
• Volume: 2
• Issue: 8499
• Pages: 129-131
• Publication date: 1986-07-01
• DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(86)91946-x
• EISSN: 1474-547X
• ISSN: 0140-6736
• Language: English
• Keywords: Humans; Antibodies, Viral; Animals; Culture Techniques; Middle Aged; Vaccination; Adult; Child; Rabies; Male; Adolescent; Rabies Vaccines; Cercopithecus aethiops; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Bites and Stings; Kidney; Dogs; Female; Cats; Rabies virus; Child, Preschool