Decreasing Trend of Adverse Effects of Rabies Vaccination

Rabies, since times immemorial, continues to be a cause of serious concern. It is acute progressive encephalitis with a fatal outcome. From being a significant zoonotic disease, this disease assumes the status of a public health hazard with dog being the principal perpetuator. Prophylactic treatments for rabies got initiated in 1885 with thoughtful approach by Louis Pasteur, which later got evolved in order to ensure higher protection and lower incidence of side effects. Today, treatments of pre and post-exposure to the virus are well established, with excellent results of protection for individuals exposed to animals potentially contaminated by the rabies virus. These treatments consist of employing a vaccine solely or in combination with equine immunoglobulin, what contributes, in an important way, to the decrease in the number of cases of rabies.