Rabies, the cause of fatal encephalitis

Abstract

To describe the clinical progression and medical protocols applied in a 41 year old man who was bited by a bat three months before. The patient did not ask for medical care until acute tremor and pain in the right thoracic limb and hydro­phobia started. For a history of a wild animal bite associated with a unique clinical condition, we suspected of rabies encephalitis, confirming the diagnostic by pathology after his death. This case ocurred in Guadalajara, Jalisco, México, in April, 2022. The last case of human rabies reported in Jalisco secondary to bat bite was almost 30 years ago. As an uncomon disease, medical personnel and facilities should be prepared to attend this sort of cases after clinical suspicion. For the present case, the medical history was the key for diagnosis. Rabies is a disease caused by the neurotropic virus belonging to the Rhabdoviridae family whose prognosis is bleak, with mortality close to 100% and therapeutic options limited. This case emphasizes the high mortality of rabies virus infection and the importance of increasing awareness and education to the public in general, with regard to applying the vaccine as post-exposure prophylaxis.