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Biomedical subjects

Henry Wilde

Publications and source records attributed to Henry Wilde.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Revision of the Thai Red Cross intradermal rabies post-exposure regimen by eliminating the 90-day booster injection.

The Thai Red Cross intradermal post-exposure rabies prophylaxis regimen (TRC-ID) is being used in Thailand, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and is making inroads in India. It consists of two injections of 0.1 mL of any World Health Organization recommended tissue culture rabies vaccine intradermally at two sites on days 0, 3, 7, followed by one injection on days 28 and 90. Two decades of experience had shown that approximately 11% of 187,000 possibly rabies exposed subjects who received the TRC-ID schedule, did not return for the 90-day booster. No rabies deaths had, however, been reported from this group. This stimulated two studies to determine whether the 90-day booster can be abolished. They demonstrated that, if the single 28-day 0.1 mL injection is increased to two at two sites, a comparable antibody response can be achieved and the 90-day booster can be omitted. The tissue culture rabies vaccine used in the preliminary study was purified chick embryo vaccine (PCEC Chiron) and for this study it was chromatography purified Vero cell vaccine (CPRV, Aventis-Pasteur). CPRV had been previously shown to be as immunogenic and effective as purified Vero cell rabies vaccine (PVRV).

Antibodies, Viral↗

Rabies.

Despite increases in our understanding of rabies pathogenesis, it remains an inevitably fatal disease. Lack of awareness, low level of political commitment to rabies control, and failure to recognize and correlate clinical, laboratory, and neuroimaging features contribute to continuing deaths. Clinical symptomatology, once believed to be unique, may be variable, even in patients associated with lyssaviruses of the same genotype. This article discusses virus transport, the role of virus and host response mechanisms in relation to protean clinical manifestations, and mechanisms responsible for relative intactness of consciousness in human rabies. Differential involvement of the anterior horn cell in furious rabies and the peripheral nerve in paralytic rabies is summarized. Escape mechanisms from host defenses explain why a fatal outcome is unavoidable regardless of therapy. Neuroprotective treatment, using a coma-induction regimen, proves not to be beneficial. Survival of patients with excellent recovery relies on early innate and adaptive immunity plus adequate intensive care support.

Humans↗

Failure of therapeutic coma and ketamine for therapy of human rabies.

The recent success in treating a human rabies patient in Milwaukee prompted the use of a similar therapeutic approach in a 33-year-old male Thai patient who was admitted in the early stages of furious rabies. He received therapeutic coma with intravenous diazepam and sodium thiopental to maintain an electroencephalographic burst suppression pattern, which was maintained for a period of 46 h, as well as intravenous ketamine (48 mg/kg/day) as a continuous infusion and ribavirin (48 to 128 mg/kg/day) via a nasogastric tube. He never developed rabies virus antibodies and he died on his 8th hospital day. At least three other patients have been treated unsuccessfully with a similar therapeutic approach. Because of the lack of a clear scientific rationale, high associated costs, and potential complications of therapeutic coma, the authors recommend caution in taking this approach for the therapy of rabies outside the setting of a clinical trial. More experimental work is also needed in cell culture systems and in animal models of rabies in order to develop effective therapy for human rabies.

Adult↗

Is injecting a finger with rabies immunoglobulin dangerous?

Treating potentially rabies virus infected wounds requires the injection of rabies immunoglobulin into and around the wounds, followed by vaccination with an approved tissue culture rabies vaccine. A significant number of such bite wounds involves fingers where there is little space for expansion. Injecting immunoglobulin into such areas under pressure may induce a compartment syndrome caused by compromising circulation. We carried out a retrospective review and a prospective study of patients seen with digital bite injuries and found that it is a safe procedure if carried out with care by experienced staff.

Adolescent↗

Reduced-dose intradermal vaccination against hepatitis A with an aluminum-free vaccine is immunogenic and can lower costs.

A reduced dose (0.1 mL) of intradermal hepatitis A virus (HAV) vaccine could facilitate the control of hepatitis A in countries of endemicity. All study subjects receiving an aluminum-free HAV vaccine intradermally were seroprotected 28 days after vaccination (anti-HAV titer, > or =10 mIU/mL). Seroprotection rates decreased to 80.8% at 12 months but returned to 100%, with titers increasing 28-fold, after receipt of a booster vaccination.

Adolescent↗

Cost comparison of rabies pre-exposure vaccination with post-exposure treatment in Thai children.

Thailand is a canine rabies endemic country with an annual prevalence above 1,000 reported animals diagnosed rabid . Over 345,000 humans are treated for possible rabies exposures annually . Lack of perception of the disease burden, social, cultural and traditional beliefs play an important role in the failure of canine rabies control. It is unfortunate that health care budgets are increasingly allocated to human post-exposure treatment rather than to the eradication of rabies in the canine animal vector. Children under the age of 15 years represent up to one-half of dog bite victims and of human rabies deaths, but accurate data of dog bite prevalence are not available . Large scale pre-exposure immunization of children has been advocated but financial and logistic barriers have hindered implementation. This study analyzes direct medical costs of pre-exposure vaccination (PREP) as a human rabies preventive strategy, against the cost of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in Thai children. Three pre- and post-exposure vaccine regimens are in use and this impacts on cost calculations. It was found that costs of both strategies, PREP of children or PEP of exposed, become equal when the dog bite incidence is 2-30%; depending on which post-exposure treatment regimens (PEP) are used.

Adolescent↗

Retrospective: animal attacks and rabies exposures in Thai children.

Over 50% of animal bites and potential rabies exposures in Thailand are in children and they also have the more severe injuries due to inexperience, smaller size and less ability to fend off attacks. Potential rabies exposures and animal bites are common in Thailand. Majority of these are in children where the extent of the injuries is also much more severe. The bitten areas correlate to the age of the children and level of the bitten animal head. These are areas noted for a higher risk of infection with rabies virus and shorter incubation periods. The vast majority of bites are due to dogs (86%) of which 74.6% are stray or community-owned animals. The prevalence of dog bites shows no seasonal variation in adults but there are two peaks during school vacation period for children. Extensive educational efforts directed at the Thai public are responsible for the rapid presentation of victims for post-exposure treatment. The dramatic reduction of human rabies deaths in Thailand during the last decades was achieved largely by the provision of expensive WHO standard post-exposure treatment, utilizing modern tissue culture vaccines and immunoglobulins. Canine and feline rabies is nevertheless still endemic and not likely to be controlled or eliminated till sustainable humane methods of dog population control and comprehensive countrywide canine rabies vaccination become possible through government policy.

Age Factors↗

Genetic analysis of dog rabies viruses circulating in Bangkok.

The genetic diversity of the rabies virus glycoprotein (G) gene isolated from individual rabid dogs (inter-hosts) and within a single infected dog (intra-host) has been analyzed in an effort to better understand selective pressures and population shifts among rabies viruses circulating in Bangkok. Comparison of individual master sequences among inter-hosts revealed that the dog virus isolates circulating in Bangkok were phylogenetically closely related. The ectodomain of the glycoprotein was highly conserved among the virus isolates. Furthermore, the genetic diversity of the G gene within an intra-host was assessed by comparing the cloned sequences in the virus population. The comparisons revealed that rabies virus circulating in an intra-host consisted of closely related heterogenous populations with minor substitutions at nucleotide (0.19%) and amino acid levels.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Epstein-Barr virus infection-associated smooth-muscle tumors in patients with AIDS.

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study is to describe the unusual clinical manifestations of smooth-muscle tumors (SMTs) in patients with acquired immunodeficiency virus (AIDS) and to demonstrate the association between Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection and SMTs. METHODS: Nine patients with AIDS and SMTs were characterized at Chulalongkorn Hospital (Bangkok, Thailand) from 2001 through 2003. Tumor tissues suitable for immunohistochemical analysis and in situ hybridization were assayed for SMTs and EBV, respectively. Plasma and serum samples were tested for EBV by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction and serologic analysis. RESULTS: The study included 8 adults and 1 child (3 males and 6 females). All patients had CD4 cell counts of <200 cells/microL. By the end of the study, 3 patients had died, and 6 patients had survived. The sites of SMTs were the epidura (5 intracranial and 4 intraspinal SMTs), vocal cords (2), adrenal glands (2), abdominal wall (2), iris (1), liver (1), lung (1), orbit (1), and thigh (1). Seven patients had multicentric SMTs involving intracranial sites only (4 SMTs), extra- and intracranial sites (3), or extracranial sites only (2), which occurred either concurrently or sequentially. We found evidence of EBV infection, as determined by in situ hybridization, in all SMTs. Furthermore, EBV DNA was detectable in plasma samples from 2 patients. The results of serologic analysis were consistent with past EBV infection. CONCLUSIONS: SMTs in patients with AIDS typically arise in multiple and very unusual sites that are not often observed in SMTs among immunocompetent individuals. Our series also suggests association between EBV infection and SMTs in patients with AIDS. The exact role of EBV in smooth-muscle oncogenesis awaits further study.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Rabies control in South and Southeast Asia.

We have the knowledge and tools to eliminate the threat of canine rabies but this disease, nevertheless, remains a public health threat in many parts of the world. Lack of motivation by governments, cultural issues and inadequate funding remain barriers. This is amazing since the number of human rabies deaths worldwide is greater than that from polio, meningococcal meningitis, Japanese encephalitis, yellow fever, SARS, bird flue and other scourges that attract more attention. Safe and effective vaccines are now widely available. Reduced dose effective and less expensive post-exposure vaccination regimens have helped eliminate nerve tissue vaccines in Thailand, Philippines and Sri Lanka. India and Pakistan, the major users of dangerous nerve tissue derived Semple type vaccine, are now considering following suite. Immediate wound care and prompt use of a potent vaccine will save a majority of infected persons. Rabies immunoglobulin, injected into and around bite wounds, provides added safety for the severely exposed. The high cost of rabies immunoglobulin and tissue culture vaccines are remaining barriers, but new manufacturers and the use of intradermal vaccination schedules can reduce costs. Ultimately, it is the need to control rabies in dogs that must occupy most of our attention. The tools are available, but attitudes must change before they can be applied. There have been many new developments since publication of the last WHO rabies expert committee report in 1992 (new version in print)] and we will address those that have practical applicability.

Animals↗

Adverse reactions to human rabies immune globulin manufactured by the Thai Red Cross Society.

Rabies Immunoglobulins (RIG) are an essential part of optimal management of rabies exposures [World Health Organization (WHO)]. They provide protection against the virus during the critical initial 7 days before adequate endogenous vaccine induced antibodies are formed. Even though Human Rabies Immune Globulin (HRIG) is the ideal product for post-exposure rabies treatment it, like most biological, can cause very rare adverse reactions. A retrospective review of a series of 8737 patients, who received HRIG at one institution, revealed that only 15 (0.183 %) reported transient mild adverse reactions.

Adolescent↗

A novel rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test for rabies virus using a recombinant rabies virus visualizing a green fluorescent protein.

Virus-neutralizing antibodies (VNAs) against rabies virus play a major role in protection from rabies. The rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT) has been internationally recognized as a standard in vitro test for measuring the VNA. CVS strain of rabies virus is used as challenge virus and the infected cells are indirectly detected by staining with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-conjugated rabies antibody which is expensive and high-quality products are often in short supply. In this study, a recombinant rabies virus strain carrying a green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene, rHEP-GFP, was used as a challenge virus in the virus neutralization assay. Expression of the GFP could be readily detected in the infected cells under a fluorescent microscope. This novel RFFIT modification RFFIT-GFP is a neutralization test, and it is based on the sound principle of the standard RFFIT using 96-well plates. VNA titers in 25 human, 18 canine and 15 horse sera have been compared between the RFFIT and RFFIT-GFP methods. The results obtained by the both methods showed good agreement between both methods in all sera investigated (coefficient of correlation, r = 0.98). It allowed direct detection of virus by expression of GFP and might be applicable for other viruses. The novel method is convenient, economical and a reliable tool not requiring expensive FITC-conjugated antibody for routine rabies VNA assays.

Animals↗