Rabies, Agra-India
Jul 5th, 2008, 07:25 AM
#22
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Unbelievable! I cannot think of any reason they would not complete the series! She is bitten in the country that has the highest rate of human rabies in the world, and a physician in an office in the UK (which has probably had zero experience with rabies) decides not to complete the series? I'm appalled. Once symptoms of rabies develop, it is 100% fatal. These has, in all of medical history, been one person who has survived once symptoms appeared.
Sorry for the rant, Frances. I'm glad your daughter is feeling fine.
Sorry for the rant, Frances. I'm glad your daughter is feeling fine.
Jul 5th, 2008, 10:43 AM
#23
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Hello all,
it's 'Frances' DD' here! I feel a little embarrassed having read all of these posts about me!
Anyhow, thank you so much for the genuine concern and advice which my mum has periodically been passing on to me. Fortuntely I am absolutely fine, and I think that what i have had to endure by way of treatment and panics was probably precautionary as opposed to a real risk - it was a small scratch, and as you know I was already well immunised before going.
A couple of things I wanted to mention:
a) the apollo hospitals were very good to me (not to mention a lovely air-conditioned haven from the dingy guesthouses us backpackers stay in)
b) please don't think that staying in five star luxury will fend off any danger of excitable little dogs! The dog I was fortunate to encounter was just outside the gate to the TajMahal, a completely unavoidable area, wherever you're staying!
c) however, luxury hotels do give you better service! As my mum said, I eventually resorted to seeking the advice of the staff at the Oberoi hotel, after our guesthouse owner had directed me to the government hospital, and the UK embassy representative had said that 'he was not allowed' to give us any names of hospitals (although a helpful lady the day before had done so)
The receptionist in the Oberoi was fantastic and immediately offered advice, plus rickshaw distances and prices!
C'est tout! Thanks again, I am well and safe within the family home again now - I get the impression I might not be allowed out again for a while!
Non
it's 'Frances' DD' here! I feel a little embarrassed having read all of these posts about me!
Anyhow, thank you so much for the genuine concern and advice which my mum has periodically been passing on to me. Fortuntely I am absolutely fine, and I think that what i have had to endure by way of treatment and panics was probably precautionary as opposed to a real risk - it was a small scratch, and as you know I was already well immunised before going.
A couple of things I wanted to mention:
a) the apollo hospitals were very good to me (not to mention a lovely air-conditioned haven from the dingy guesthouses us backpackers stay in)
b) please don't think that staying in five star luxury will fend off any danger of excitable little dogs! The dog I was fortunate to encounter was just outside the gate to the TajMahal, a completely unavoidable area, wherever you're staying!
c) however, luxury hotels do give you better service! As my mum said, I eventually resorted to seeking the advice of the staff at the Oberoi hotel, after our guesthouse owner had directed me to the government hospital, and the UK embassy representative had said that 'he was not allowed' to give us any names of hospitals (although a helpful lady the day before had done so)
The receptionist in the Oberoi was fantastic and immediately offered advice, plus rickshaw distances and prices!
C'est tout! Thanks again, I am well and safe within the family home again now - I get the impression I might not be allowed out again for a while!
Non
Jul 5th, 2008, 03:26 PM
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Thank you for sharing this info Frances. I've been to India many times and NEVER thought about being bitten by one of dogs that are fixtures in every street.
I will look into the pre-exposure vaccine as I am planning a return trip sometime this year.
Although I stay at a very nice private residence, once you're out on the street, even briefly, you're fair game for the dogs. Usually they just ramble by as you walk, but now I view the risk differently.
Glad all is well now and again, thank you for taking the time to post this!
I will look into the pre-exposure vaccine as I am planning a return trip sometime this year.
Although I stay at a very nice private residence, once you're out on the street, even briefly, you're fair game for the dogs. Usually they just ramble by as you walk, but now I view the risk differently.
Glad all is well now and again, thank you for taking the time to post this!
Jul 8th, 2008, 12:53 PM
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I keep thinking this story is over...
By the time I arrived in my office Monday morning there was already a message for me to ring the surgery.They said that a Dr from the HPA in London(which I've never heard of but I understand it stands for Health Protection Agency- no doubt headed by a "czar"
had discussed this matter with a colleague and they had decided that Non DID have to have 3 doses of immunoglobulin which they were couriering up here for Tuesday.I said that I didn't think this was right because she had had immunoglobulin two years ago and what she now needed was one dose of what is called "rabipur" in India.After several phone calls back and fro they agreed.
I took her there this morning and then received an urgent message from my office when I was in the cells saying that the surgery was trying to get hold of me.It seems that when she got to the appointment the vaccine hadn't arrived so they sent her away to wait for it to come. It had then come and they wanted her to come back. However the nurse now said she had never had immunoglobulin at all but a rabies vaccine- don't know what that was.
She was given one dose this morning and they wanted her to come back next Tuesday for another but despite what she said above about not being allowed out again she is going to France on Saturday. The Dr asked her if she HAD to go! Guess what the answer was! He said he would teach her to administer it to herself but as she is going with her sister who is a Dr that was O.K.
It then turned out that it needs to be kept at between 2-8 degrees and that you probably need some sort of authority to export it at which stage they said she can have one when she comes back which is in 13 days and the last one 2 weeks later.
She is getting fairly cheesed off with this now and doesn't actually know what vaccine she has had today. She is however completely in the pink.
By the time I arrived in my office Monday morning there was already a message for me to ring the surgery.They said that a Dr from the HPA in London(which I've never heard of but I understand it stands for Health Protection Agency- no doubt headed by a "czar"
had discussed this matter with a colleague and they had decided that Non DID have to have 3 doses of immunoglobulin which they were couriering up here for Tuesday.I said that I didn't think this was right because she had had immunoglobulin two years ago and what she now needed was one dose of what is called "rabipur" in India.After several phone calls back and fro they agreed.I took her there this morning and then received an urgent message from my office when I was in the cells saying that the surgery was trying to get hold of me.It seems that when she got to the appointment the vaccine hadn't arrived so they sent her away to wait for it to come. It had then come and they wanted her to come back. However the nurse now said she had never had immunoglobulin at all but a rabies vaccine- don't know what that was.
She was given one dose this morning and they wanted her to come back next Tuesday for another but despite what she said above about not being allowed out again she is going to France on Saturday. The Dr asked her if she HAD to go! Guess what the answer was! He said he would teach her to administer it to herself but as she is going with her sister who is a Dr that was O.K.
It then turned out that it needs to be kept at between 2-8 degrees and that you probably need some sort of authority to export it at which stage they said she can have one when she comes back which is in 13 days and the last one 2 weeks later.
She is getting fairly cheesed off with this now and doesn't actually know what vaccine she has had today. She is however completely in the pink.
Jul 8th, 2008, 01:05 PM
#29
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Frances, what a mess. You are quite right, she didn't need immune globulin. Since she had the pre-exposure series (which is a vaccine), it means she didn't need immuneglobulin at all. She just needed the series of three post-exposure vaccine shots. "Rabipur" is a type of rabies vaccine; there are several that are licensed.
I'm not clear why thay are giving her a new series of three vaccine shots (after they said she didn't need any!). It may be they felt she needed a series of three shots of the same type of vaccine. In any case, I'm about to recommend to people that if they get bit by a possibly rabid anumal, they should get treated some where they are more accustomed to dealing with this!
I'm not clear why thay are giving her a new series of three vaccine shots (after they said she didn't need any!). It may be they felt she needed a series of three shots of the same type of vaccine. In any case, I'm about to recommend to people that if they get bit by a possibly rabid anumal, they should get treated some where they are more accustomed to dealing with this!
