A GP guide to reducing rabies risk
This lyssavirus can play havoc with health and travel plans, but the uptake of pre-exposure vaccination in Australian travellers at risk remains low
Need to know:
How to best advise travellers on rabies risk was a hot topic at the 2024 Southern Cross Travel Medicine Conference, held in Brisbane in September.
In a session about disrupted journeys, a case of an Australian traveller bitten by a street dog in Bali (see box 1) was a launching point to consider some of the challenges clinicians face in managing traveller risk.1
Access to gold standard post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) can be difficult in many countries, so a potential exposure can spell an unpleasant unplanned end to holiday enjoyment for travellers. This was the case for the patient discussed at the conference.
