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NEWS RELEASES
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News media
contact:
Newsroom, 832-824-2111
Pager:
832-824-7243, no. 6266 |
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HOUSTON (06/12/2006)
- Texas
Children's Hospital is deeply saddened to report that an Humble-area
teenager died on Friday, May 12 at 4:55 p.m. from the effects of
rabies after exposure to a bat in his home.The family wishes to
express its thanks to the community for their prayers and support.
STATEMENT FROM TEXAS
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
In response to media requests for interviews and comments, Texas
Children’s Hospital issues the following statement:
Despite
heroic efforts made by many dedicated, highly skilled, intensive
care-trained physicians, infectious disease specialists,
neurologists, neurosurgeons, pediatric cardiologists, nurses,
pharmacists and respiratory therapists, no treatment could save the
child.
As with all
Texas Children’s patients, the many health care professionals who
treated this young patient share the grief experienced by the
family.
Rabies, which
causes devastating neurological damage, is almost always fatal once
symptoms appear, as was the case with this child.
Many patients
with rabies worldwide have been treated intensively and nevertheless
have died. Antirabies antibodies, interferon and its inducers, and
various antivirals all have been used without evident success.
Although a
rare case of survival was reported in Wisconsin, rabies is always
fatal unless the patient receives the rabies vaccine immediately
after contact with the disease.
Virtually
every other patient with rabies prior to and subsequent to the
Wisconsin patient has died.
The family
has requested that the hospital not release further details.
Additional Resources:
•
Rabies FAQ
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Web resources on rabies
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