About Rabies
Even though rabies has been around for more than 4000 years, it still remains one of the deadliest diseases in the world.1 After the onset of symptoms, there is no effective treatment, and only a handful of people worldwide have ever recovered from it. Human infections usually occur as a result of being bitten by an infected animal.2

The rabies virus, from the saliva of an infected animal deposited in the wound site, enters muscle cells, replicates, then rapidly travels within axons to the central nervous system, resulting in fatal encephalitis. A remarkable aspect of the rabies virus that adds to its lethality is its ability to evade host immune mechanisms.1, 2

Animals at high risk for rabies in the US5:


Rabies is essentially7,8:

Postexposure Prophylaxis for Rabies
Approximately 55,000 people report coming in contact with potentially rabid animals and receive rabies postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) each year.6
If PEP has been initiated and appropriate laboratory diagnostic testing (eg, the direct fluorescent antibody test) indicates that the animal that caused the exposure was not rabid, PEP may be discontinued.2
Be sure to follow the CDC PEP schedule10:

If patients are exposed to an animal bite, they are also at risk for tetanus—check tetanus vaccination history when treating for rabies.12
Find out more information about tetanus immune globulin.
Find out more information about tetanus vaccination.

For more information, recommendations, and guidelines, visit the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
Rabies vaccines can take weeks to build efficacy—HRIGs such as HyperRAB provide immediate protection11,13,14
- The most commonly encountered causes of PEP management failures are when HRIG is not used at all, it is injected only IM and not into wound(s), or not all bite wound(s) are injected15
- The virus may continue to spread and replicate without HRIG16,17
Provide immediate protection after exposure to rabies10,13,18:

- HRIG can be given up to 7 days after the first dose of rabies vaccine10
- Patients who are immunocompromised should be given a fifth dose of the rabies vaccine on day 2810