Successful protection of humans exposed to rabies infection. Postexposure treatment with the new human diploid cell rabies vaccine and antirabies serum.

Forty-five persons severely bitten by rabid dogs and wolves in Iran were treated after exposure with a new rabies vaccine produced in cultures of human diploid cells. All except one also received one injection of rabies immune serum. This treatment, in contrast to past experience with other vaccines, resulted in protection of all individuals against rabies. Thus, almost a century after the postexposure treatment of humans was initiated, an effective tool for protecting man against rabies has finally been developed.