[Viruses without boundaries--risk of rabies during travel]

Rabies infection is a rare, but real threat to travellers and longterm residents in endemic areas. Preexposure vaccination is recommended for persons travelling to or staying in remote endemic areas, especially for children, as well as for professionally exposed persons in the field and in the laboratory. Three doses of a cell culture vaccine on days 0.7 and 21 or 28, followed by another dose on day 365, provide a basic protection which needs to be boostered by 2-3 doses after each potential rabies contact. Postexposure treatment includes thorough cleansing with soap, water and a disinfectant, and tetanus booster if needed. Cases without previous vaccination receive active plus passive protection from cell culture vaccine at days 0, 3, 7, 14 and 30, and preferably human rabies immune globulins (20 IU/kg BW) on day 0, injected around the site of the bite.