RABIES, 120 years after Pasteur. Part 2/3

Dr. Rigobert: Rabies is still a public health issue in our countries, particularly in Burkina Faso because many people are attacked. At our two rabies treatment centers in Ouagadougou and Bobo-Dioulasso combined, we count 4000 attacks each year. Of these 4000 attacks, about 2500 people are treated for rabies. But there are many more attacks in rural areas. Rabies treatment centers are too far away, so people dont come. The actual number is probably closer to 40000. Fifth In many countries, rabies is not a reportable disease and in fact it is misdiagnosed often because people dont think about rabies. Or perhaps its diagnosed as another encephalitic disease, like cerebral malaria, or something like that, when in fact, the person actually is infected and died of rabies. Dr. Tordo: Human rabies treatment is very simple. Vaccination is the only one that is truly effective. There are two types of vaccination: one is preventive and the other is given after exposure to a rabid dog. But the same mechanism works in both cases. Preventive vaccination, like post-exposure vaccination, allows the body to generate antibodies. Their purpose is to neutralize the virus before it infects the nervous system and causes death. Massive preventive vaccination in endemic countries is difficult for two reasons. The populations are large and, with three injections, the protocol is fairly complex. Scientists are working to simplify the system, but are still in the research stage. Voiceover: Although …