Anti-rabies_immunoglobulin
Rabies immunoglobulin
Medication made up of antibodies against the rabies virus
Rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) is a medication made up of antibodies against the rabies virus.[10] It is used to prevent rabies following exposure.[10] It is given after the wound is cleaned with soap and water or povidone-iodine and is followed by a course of rabies vaccine.[10] It is given by injection into the site of the wound and into a muscle.[10] It is not needed in people who have been previously vaccinated against rabies.[11]
Common side effects include pain at the site of injection, fever, and headache.[10] Severe allergic reactions such as anaphylaxis may rarely occur.[12] Use during pregnancy is not known to harm the baby.[10] It works by binding to the rabies virus before it can enter nerve tissue.[10] After the virus has entered the central nervous system, rabies immunoglobulin is no longer useful.[10]
The use of rabies immunoglobulin in the form of blood serum dates from 1891.[13] Use became common within medicine in the 1950s.[14] It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.[15] Rabies immunoglobulin is expensive and hard to come by in the developing world.[16] In the United States it is estimated to be more than US$1,000.00 per dose.[17] It is made from the blood plasma of people or horses who have high levels of the antibody in their blood.[10][17] The horse version is less expensive but has a higher rate of side effects.[17][14]