Some cases of rabies with high exposure potential: A field experience

A 12-year old girl died of rabies in 1986. The source of the rabies was a family dog that had been vaccinated several times with Flury Strain LEP rabies vaccine. The health and home care of the dog was excellent. The death of the dog 4 days after it bit the girl did not qualify it for a rabies suspect and the brain was not tested for rabies antigen. The death of the girl six months later forced a change in the autopsy protocol at Ahmadu Bello University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Zaria. Until the change, only dogs suspected of rabies were tested for rabies antigen. The testing of the brains of all autopsied dogs for rabies antigen inspite of the cause of death has revealed 9 cases that would have escaped being diagnosed under previous protocol as cases of rabies. The individual cases and the high exposure potential of each of the cases are discussed in this paper. (Tropical Veterinarian: 2003 21(1): 58-64)