Ep 14 Rabies: Don't dilute me, bro

Vaccine History

The development of the rabies vaccine marked a pivotal moment in medical history. Erin Welsh and Erin Updyke recount how Louis Pasteur's groundbreaking work in 1885 led to the first successful rabies prevention method. Pasteur's method involved a series of 13 inoculations using spinal cord material from rabbits, which proved effective in preventing rabies in humans 1. This achievement not only saved lives but also sparked global efforts to eradicate rabies, with some countries like the UK achieving rabies-free status for nearly a century 2.

Pasteur agreed to treat the boy with the 13 inoculations. He waited through many sleepless nights, sure that he had condemned the boy to death. But the inoculations proved successful, and the boy made a full recovery.

--- Erin Welsh

Despite the vaccine's success, rabies remains a threat in many parts of the world, highlighting the need for continued vigilance and vaccination efforts.

   

Prevention Today

Modern rabies prevention strategies focus on vaccination and global collaboration. Erin Updyke explains that organizations like the World Health Organization and the Global Alliance for Rabies Control aim to eliminate human rabies deaths by 2030 through widespread dog vaccination and post-exposure prophylaxis 3. These efforts have significantly reduced rabies cases in the Americas, shifting the primary transmission source from dogs to wild animals like bats.

The World Health Organization stance and the CDC stance is that with proper vaccination and post exposure prophylaxis, this is a preventable disease.

--- Erin Updyke

However, challenges remain, particularly in Africa and Asia, where rabies continues to cause thousands of deaths annually 4.