Immunovirological correlates in human rabies treated with therapeutic coma. J Med Virol 2010 Jul;82(7):1255-65
Date
06/01/2010Pubmed ID
20513093DOI
10.1002/jmv.21785Scopus ID
2-s2.0-77954396189 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 57 CitationsAbstract
A 37-year-old woman was admitted to hospital and over the next 5 days developed a progressive encephalitis. Nuchal skin biopsy, analyzed using a Rabies TaqMan(c) PCR, demonstrated rabies virus RNA. She had a history in keeping with exposure to rabies whilst in South Africa, but had not received pre- or post-exposure prophylaxis. She was treated with a therapeutic coma according to the "Milwaukee protocol," which failed to prevent the death of the patient. Rabies virus was isolated from CSF and saliva, and rabies antibody was demonstrated in serum (from day 11 onwards) and cerebrospinal fluid (day 13 onwards). She died on day-35 of hospitalization. Autopsy specimens demonstrated the presence of rabies antigen, viral RNA, and viable rabies virus in the central nervous system.
Author List
Hunter M, Johnson N, Hedderwick S, McCaughey C, Lowry K, McConville J, Herron B, McQuaid S, Marston D, Goddard T, Harkess G, Goharriz H, Voller K, Solomon T, Willoughby RE, Fooks ARAuthor
Rodney E. Willoughby MD Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdultAntibodies, Viral
Antigens, Viral
Convulsive Therapy
Fatal Outcome
Female
Humans
Neutralization Tests
RNA, Viral
Rabies
Rabies virus
Saliva
South Africa
