Rabies treatment fails to save two
An experimental rabies treatment that saved the life of a teenager in 2004 failed to help two other children infected with the deadly virus, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.
A 10-year-old Indiana girl and an 11-year-old California boy both died despite getting the treatment that involves putting patients into a drug-induced coma and giving them antiviral drugs. Quick vaccination after exposure, which is usually via a bite or some other contact with the saliva of an infected animal, can save lives. But if a person begins showing symptoms, which can be confused with other illnesses, it is usually too late.
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