A longitudinal study on safety and clinical efficacy of rabies biologicals for post exposure prophylaxis among the vulnerable elderly population at the anti-rabies clinic, Bangalore
Abstract
Introduction: Animal exposures are a public health problem that occurs largely in the underserved populations where there is close habitation of human and dog populations. The elderly are more vulnerable to animal bites, often unable to defend themselves, and require immediate post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), which is effective in preventing rabies. The present study was conducted to study the safety and clinical efficacy of post-exposure prophylaxis among this vulnerable group.
Methodology: All the elderly individuals who came for post-exposure prophylaxis to the anti-rabies clinic were included in the study after obtaining written informed consent. The details on socio-demographic profile and characteristics of animal bites and PEP provided were recorded. A safety assessment was done by recording the adverse drug reactions (ADRs), both local & systemic, immediately & subsequently up to day 28. Likewise, all the patients were followed up to 6 months after PEP to know their health status and for the clinical efficacy of PEP.
Results: The study included 54 subjects with category III exposure, aged between 60 and 97 years. All the subjects were provided post-exposure prophylaxis as recommended by NCDC, India. Among the study subjects, 12 (22.2%) reported ADRs such as pain (14.8%), itching (3.7%), erythema (1.9%), and malaise (1.9%), which were mild and resolved without any complications. All the study subjects were healthy and alive at the end of 6 months.
Conclusion: The post-exposure prophylaxis provided was safe and clinically effective in preventing rabies among the elderly in category III animal exposures and supports its continued usage in this vulnerable group.
DOI: https://doi.org/ 10.24321/0973.5038.202606
How to cite this article:
Ravish H S, Vijay G G, Navyashree N S, Bharathi D G. A Longitudinal Study on Safety and Clinical Efficacy of Rabies Biologicals for Post Exposure Prophylaxis Among the Vulnerable Elderly Population at the Anti-Rabies Clinic, Bangalore. APCRI J. 2026; 28(1): 10-14.
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