Rabies immune globulin: what to know

Immune globulin is used when a person needs post-exposure care and has not already completed suitable rabies vaccination. The clinician may place it into and around the bite or wound so antibodies are present where the virus could have entered. It is kept separate from the rabies vaccine because the two products have different roles. Immune globulin supplies temporary help; vaccination prompts the body to develop its own immune response.

Rinse and wash the wound with soap and running water as soon as possible. Avoid applying irritating substances or closing the wound without medical advice. Attend an urgent clinic and describe the animal, the contact, the body site, and the time of the event. Bring any record of previous rabies vaccination. The care team will decide which products and follow-up are appropriate.

Seek urgent help for any mammal bite, a scratch that may have saliva on it, or saliva contact with an open wound, eye, nose, or mouth. Do this even if the animal appears healthy or the mark is barely visible. Weakness, fever, confusion, unusual behaviour, trouble swallowing, or spasms need emergency care; preventive assessment should not wait for these signs.

Ask whether immune globulin is needed, how the wound will be treated, when vaccination should occur, and which warning signs require a return visit.