Talecris Promotes Rabies Awareness and Prevention in Conjunction with World Rabies Day

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Of the many threats to human health, rabies is not often considered a serious concern in the U.S. because of its relative rarity. Yet the rabies virus is virtually always fatal if preventive treatment is not administered before the onset of symptoms.

To educate healthcare providers and the community at large about the imperative need for proper rabies post-exposure treatments, Talecris Biotherapeutics, Inc. is sponsoring a range of education and awareness programs locally and nationally throughout September and October. Talecris' programs will occur in conjunction with World Rabies Day on Sept. 28, sponsored by the Alliance for Rabies Control and supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"Because rabies fatalities are rare in the U.S. today, many healthcare providers may be uncertain about proper post-exposure treatment protocols," said Eric Wolford, senior director, Medical Affairs at Talecris. "Improving their understanding of the appropriate use of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) using guidelines developed by the CDC is an important part of our mission to prevent the fatal symptoms of rabies."

Last year alone, Americans received an estimated 40,000 doses of rabies preventive treatments following exposures, yet treatments are not always administered according to the approved CDC guidelines.

On Sept. 28, Talecris is sponsoring a symposium at the annual meeting of the American College of Emergency Physicians in Las Vegas to educate emergency physicians – often the first-line responders - about the multi-pronged treatment protocol required after an exposure. According to the CDC guidelines, individuals who have not been previously immunized should first receive rabies immune globulin to quickly confer temporary immunity against the virus, followed a by a series of rabies vaccines to generate permanent immunity. As the makers of rabies immune globulin, Talecris is committed to promoting rabies awareness and prevention.

Over the past two years, Talecris has sponsored a series of symposia around the country to educate healthcare providers about the types of exposures that pose a threat of rabies infection and the appropriate guidelines for preventing the disease.

Talecris is also promoting rabies awareness among its employees. On Oct. 14, Talecris will host Dr. Charles Rupprecht, chief of the CDC Rabies Program, and North Carolina State Public Health Veterinarian Carl Williams at Talecris' headquarters to discuss rabies in North Carolina and the role of post-exposure prophylaxis in preventing rabies infections.

To learn more about activities and events associated with World Rabies Day, please go to: http://www.worldrabiesday.org.

About Rabies

Rabies is a viral disease most commonly transmitted through the bite of an infected animal. Without proper preventive treatment, the virus attacks the central nervous system, causing flu-like symptoms that progress to anxiety, confusion, severe agitation, hallucination, hyper-salivation, difficulty swallowing and hydrophobia. Once the rabies virus reaches the central nervous system and symptoms begin to show, the infection is untreatable and usually fatal within days. The only way to prevent the onset of symptoms is by vaccinating individuals (known as post-exposure prophylaxis) shortly after they have been exposed to rabies. For persons who have never been immunized against rabies, the regimen consists of an initial injection of rabies immune globulin, followed by a series of five doses of rabies vaccine.

About Talecris Biotherapeutics: Inspiration. Dedication. Innovation.

Talecris Biotherapeutics is a global biotherapeutic and biotechnology company that discovers, develops and produces critical care treatments for people with life-threatening disorders in a variety of therapeutic areas including immunology, pulmonology, neurology and hemostasis. For more information, please visit: www.talecris.com.

SOURCE Talecris Biotherapeutics, Inc.