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[Rabies encephalomyelitis with myocarditis and pancreatitis. Report on a case recently imported into France]
P Hofman1, H Bourhy, J F Michiels
1Service d'Anatomie et Cylologie Pathologiques, Hôpital Pasteur, Nice.
Annales De Pathologie
|January 1, 1992
Summary
A 29-year-old man died from rabies in France after a dog bite in Mexico. Misleading symptoms complicated diagnosis, highlighting the need for comprehensive post-mortem testing for human rabies.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Neurology
- Pathology
Background:
- Human rabies is rare in France, but travel to endemic areas increases infection risk.
- Lack of compulsory rabies vaccination and increased international travel pose public health challenges.
Observation:
- A 29-year-old man presented with neurological, digestive, cardiac, and psychiatric symptoms following a dog bite in Mexico.
- Clinical diagnosis of rabies was challenging due to atypical and misleading symptoms.
Findings:
- Post-mortem diagnosis confirmed rabies through immunofluorescence, viral isolation, ELISA, light microscopy (Negri bodies), and electron microscopy (rhabdovirus).
- Extraneural lesions, including myocarditis and pancreatitis, were observed and analyzed.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of thorough post-mortem virological and histological examinations for diagnosing rabies.
- Physicians must consider rabies in travelers returning from endemic regions, even with atypical presentations.