[Anti-rabies antibody levels observed in subjects who were bitten by supposed rabid animals abroad and received post-exposure immunization].

From December of 1990 to December of 1997, 119 subjects visited to our hospital to receive post-exposure therapy using purified chick embryo cell rabies vaccine manufactured by the Chem-Sero-Theraptic Institute (Katestuken), because they had been bitten by supposed rabid animals abroad. The forty of the subjects (male: 25, female: 15) wished to have their anti-rabies antibody levels examined. The number of samples taken after 5 or 6 shots rabies vaccine were 30 and 15, respectively. The antibody levels after 6 shots of rabies vaccine varied from 1.0 IU/ml to 10.1 IU/ml. After 5 shots the antibody levels fluctuated from under 0.1 IU/ml to over 8.8 IU/ml, and 3 subjects were found to have antibody titers of under 0.5 IU/ml which is the WHO minimal protective level. Two of these 3 subjects found to have antibodies of 1.0 IU/ml and 3.1 IU/ml. after the 6th injection. However, these 3 subjects had the hazard to have rabies despite post-exposure immunization, because the incubation period of rabies is found to be 1-3 months in about 60% of the cases. The potency of Kaketsuken's rabies vaccine should be increased to provide higher antibody levels.