Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Unique clinical and imaging findings in a first ever documented PCR positive rabies survival patient: A case report.
- Journal:
- Journal of clinical virology : the official publication of the Pan American Society for Clinical Virology
- Year:
- 2015
- Authors:
- M, Netravathi et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Neurology · India
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
This case report discusses a child who survived rabies, a serious viral infection that usually leads to death. The child was bitten by a dog and received the appropriate preventive treatment, but within two weeks, they developed severe brain issues, including seizures and significant difficulties with daily activities. Tests confirmed the presence of the rabies virus in their spinal fluid and skin biopsy. Even after more than four years, the child continues to experience neurological problems. This case is remarkable because it shows that survival is possible, even though rabies is typically fatal.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Rabies is fatal encephalitis which is a major public health problem in Asian and African countries. Till date, only 12 cases have been reported who have survived after rabies. CASE REPORT: In this communication we report a patient who is unique as the first documented long term rabies survivor with PCR positivity even after 4½ years of illness. Child sustained dog bite following which he received adequate prophylaxis. Within two weeks, child developed encephalopathy requiring evaluation. Child continues to have persistent myoclonic jerks, seizures, is dependent on all activities with severe neurological deficits. Nested reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) specific for rabies nucleoprotein gene in CSF and nuchal skin biopsy were positive for rabies viral RNA. The nuchal skin biopsy was also positive for rabies nucleoprotein antigen by fluorescent antibody test (FAT). We describe the clinical evolution and sequential MRI brain changes in this child. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the uniformly dismal prognosis of human rabies, these unusual reports of survival of rabies patients may provide an impetus to explore newer therapeutic strategies for this otherwise fatal disease.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26305826/