Fatal case of human rabies imported to Italy from India highlights the importance of adequate post-exposure prophylaxis, October 2011

P De Benedictis; G Perboni; C Gentili; L Gaetti; F Zaffanella; F Mutinelli; I Capua; G Cattoli

doi:10.2807/ese.17.19.20168-en

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Fatal case of human rabies imported to Italy from India highlights the importance of adequate post-exposure prophylaxis, October 2011
P De Benedictis¹ , G Perboni² , C Gentili² , L Gaetti² , F Zaffanella³ , F Mutinelli¹ , I Capua¹ , G Cattoli¹
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Affiliations: ¹ National Reference Centre for Rabies and OIE Collaborating Centre for diseases at the animal-human interface, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, Padua, Italy ² Azienda Ospedaliera “Carlo Poma”, Mantua, Italy ³ Azienda Sanitaria Locale (ASL) di Mantova, Mantua, Italy

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P De Benedictis
pdebenedictis izsvenezie.it
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Citation style for this article: De Benedictis P, Perboni G, Gentili C, Gaetti L, Zaffanella F, Mutinelli F, Capua I, Cattoli G. Fatal case of human rabies imported to Italy from India highlights the importance of adequate post-exposure prophylaxis, October 2011. Euro Surveill. 2012;17(19):pii=20168. https://doi.org/10.2807/ese.17.19.20168-en Received: 02 May 2012

Abstract

In October 2011, an Indian man resident in Italy was admitted to a hospital in Mantua, Italy with symptoms of acute encephalitis. Due to a recent history of bite by a suspected rabid dog in India, where he had received incomplete post-exposure treatment, rabies was suspected. The patient died after 22 days of intensive care treatment and rabies was confirmed post mortem. This report stresses the need of appropriate post-exposure prophylaxis in rabies-endemic countries.