Published Date: 2012-07-26 18:17:44
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Rabies - Taiwan (ex China): canine, human
Archive Number: 20120726.1216441

RABIES - TAIWAN (EX CHINA): CANINE, HUMAN
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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Thu 26 Jul 2012
Source: Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, press release [In Chinese, trans. by AH, edited]
http://www.cdc.gov.tw/info.aspxtreeid=45da8e73a81d495d&nowtreeid=1bd193ed6dabaee6&tid=37709F2EE0F06FD1


Taiwan Centers for Disease Control confirmed the 1st imported case of rabies in the last 10 years. A 30-year-old male who had lived in northern Taiwan has been living in China since February [2012]. In June [2012], he was bitten by his own dog in Wuhan, Hubei. His dog was known to have been bitten by a stray dog. After the patient was bitten, he did not seek medical attention, nor did he receive rabies prophylaxis.

On 16 Jul 2012, the patient began to have numbness, paresthesia, and itching on the plantar aspect of his foot, followed by paresthesia of the lower body. On 20 Jul 2012, he began to have hydrophobia, vomiting, difficulty in swallowing, and swelling of the throat. He sought medical attention in Wuhan and was suspected to have rabies. On 23 Jul 2012, his condition worsened, and was medically evacuated back to Taiwan. He is now being treated in the intensive unit of a medical center. His saliva, serum, and cerebrospinal fluid tested by Taiwan CDC confirmed that the patient is infected with rabies virus.

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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Angela Song-En Huang

[The lapse of time between injury and evidence of rabies virus infection, together with the absence of post-exposure prophylaxis, suggest that death of the patient is inevitable.

Angela Song-En Huang has added the comment that Taiwan has had no reported human rabies cases since 1959, and no animal rabies since 1961. Taiwan is one of the few rabies-free areas in the world. Citizens bitten by animals in Taiwan do not need to receive rabies immunoglobulin or vaccine. The last case of imported human rabies occurred in 2002. The patient was infected in China, and became ill while visiting relatives in Hualien [see ProMED ref. below].

The interactive HealthMap of Taiwan can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1ob6, and that of Hubei province of China at: <http://healthmap.org/r/2PPC. - Mod.CP]

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