Patient Care for Preventing Rabies

Key points

  • CDC has recommendations for pre-exposure prophylaxis for certain people.
  • If your patient may have been exposed to rabies, contact your health department immediately for a risk assessment to determine eligibility for post-exposure prophylaxis.
  • Rabies post-exposure prophylaxis includes wound washing, human rabies immune globulin, and a four-dose series of vaccines.
vials and a needle

Rabies biologics

Rabies can be prevented before and after exposure to rabies virus using rabies biologics including vaccine and immunoglobulins.

CDC has recommendations for people who are eligible for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).

Thanks to rabies control programs and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), human rabies is rare the United States, with less than 10 cases reported annually. However, about 100,000 Americans receive PEP following an exposure each year.

Learn more about biologics for preventing rabies through PrEP and PEP, and about increasing their efficacy and safety.

Rabies Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Guidance
Learn who's at risk for rabies and should receive pre-exposure prophylaxis for rabies prevention.
Rabies Post-exposure Prophylaxis Guidance
Necessary steps to take when a patient has been exposed to rabies.
Rabies Biologics
More information about rabies biologics to prevent rabies, common errors. and adverse reactions.
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Content Source:
National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)