Rabies – offering travellers pre-exposure vaccination

Rabies is an acute infectious zoonotic disease in mammals, characterised by central nervous system symptoms and signs, paralysis and death. The cause is a neurotropic virus found in the saliva of rabid animals, most commonly domestic dogs, although monkeys, bats or, indeed, any mammal may be infected. The virus may be transmitted by biting or skin abrasion, and also rarely by aerosol or direct fluid contact across mucous membranes or transplantation of infected organs.