Skip to main content
NCBI home page
American Journal of Public Health logoLink to American Journal of Public Health
. 1984 Apr;74(4):370–372. doi: 10.2105/ajph.74.4.370

Nosocomial rabies: investigation of contacts of human rabies cases associated with a corneal transplant.

L J Anderson, L P Williams Jr, J B Layde, F R Dixon, W G Winkler
PMCID: PMC1651486  PMID: 6367499

Abstract

In October 1978 in Boise, Idaho, a woman died of rabies after receiving a corneal transplant from a man, who in retrospect was also found to have died of rabies. Investigation of 203 contacts of these two patients identified 94 who were felt to have had sufficient risk of exposure to justify being given rabies post-exposure prophylaxis. Nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, and family members were at greatest risk. We discuss the problems encountered in determining risk of exposure for contacts of humans with rabies.

Full text

PDF
370

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Baer G. M., Cleary W. F. A model in mice for the pathogenesis and treatment of rabies. J Infect Dis. 1972 May;125(5):520–527. doi: 10.1093/infdis/125.5.520. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Baer G. M., Shaddock J. H., Houff S. A., Harrison A. K., Gardner J. J. Human rabies transmitted by corneal transplant. Arch Neurol. 1982 Feb;39(2):103–107. doi: 10.1001/archneur.1982.00510140037010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Baraff L. J., Hafkin B., Wehrle P. F., Emmons R. W., Gunn R. A., Overturf G. D., Steinberg E. Human rabies. West J Med. 1978 Feb;128(2):159–164. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bhatt D. R., Hattwick M. A., Gerdsen R., Emmons R. W., Johnson H. N. Human rabies. Diagnosis, complications, and management. Am J Dis Child. 1974 Jun;127(6):862–869. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1974.02110250088013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cohen S. L., Gardner S., Lanyi C., McDonald J. R., Rée H., Southorn P. A., Woodruff A. W. A case of rabies in man: some problems in diagnosis and management. Br Med J. 1976 May 1;1(6017):1041–1042. doi: 10.1136/bmj.1.6017.1041. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Duenas A., Belsey M. A., Escobar J., Medina P., Sanmartin D. Isolation of rabies virus outside the human central nervous system. J Infect Dis. 1973 Jun;127(6):702–704. doi: 10.1093/infdis/127.6.702. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gräni R., Wandeler A., Steck F., Rösli R. Tollwut bei einem Tierarzt. Schweiz Med Wochenschr. 1978 Apr 22;108(16):593–597. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Houff S. A., Burton R. C., Wilson R. W., Henson T. E., London W. T., Baer G. M., Anderson L. J., Winkler W. G., Madden D. L., Sever J. L. Human-to-human transmission of rabies virus by corneal transplant. N Engl J Med. 1979 Mar 15;300(11):603–604. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197903153001105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. KENT J. R., FINEGOLD S. M. Human rabies transmitted by the bite of a bat: with comments on the duck-embryo vaccine. N Engl J Med. 1960 Nov 24;263:1058–1065. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196011242632106. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. KISSLING R. E., REESE D. R. ANTI-RABIES VACCINE OF TISSUE CULTURE ORIGIN. J Immunol. 1963 Sep;91:362–368. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lewis V. J., Thacker W. L. Limitations of deteriorated tissue for rabies diagnosis. Health Lab Sci. 1974 Jan;11(1):8–12. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Schneider L. G. Die Pathogenese der Tollwut bei der Maus. I. Die Virusausbreitung vom Infektionsort zum Zentralnervensystem. Zentralbl Bakteriol Orig. 1969;211(3):281–308. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Schneider L. G., Hamann I. Die Pathogenese der Tollwut bei der Maus. 3. Die zentrifugale Virusausbreitung und die Virusgeneralisierung im Organismus. Zentralbl Bakteriol Orig. 1969 Dec;212(1):13–41. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from American Journal of Public Health are provided here courtesy of American Public Health Association

RESOURCES