Rabies Information For Health Care Providers

Case Reporting

Licensed healthcare professionals and healthcare agencies are required to report human rabies and animal bites to the Rhode Island Department of Health. Please refer to "Management of Human Exposures to Suspect Rabid Animals."

Rabies Vaccine Guidelines

• The State of Rhode Island Manual for Rabies Management and Protocols - February 2012
• Human Rabies Prevention - United States, 1999  Recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP) - These revised recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices update the previous recommendations on rabies prevention (MMWR 1991;40{No.RR-3}:1-14) to reflect the current status of rabies and antirabies biologics in the United States. This report includes new information about a human rabies vaccine approved for U.S. use in 1997, recommendations regarding exposure to bats, recommendations regarding an observation period for domestic ferrets, and changes in the local administration of rabies immune globulin.
• Human Rabies Prevention, United States, 2008 Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices
• Use of a Reduced (4-Dose) Vaccine Schedule for Postexposure Prophylaxis to Prevent Human Rabies Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, March 2010