Rabies Hero, Dr. George Baer

There are some people who accomplish so much in life, they shine like beacons for the rest of us. Dr. George Baer is one such figure who contributed so much.

Although he passed from this life on June 2nd, he is immortalized as a ‘Rabies Hero’ – a pioneer in the field.

I first ‘discovered’ who he was after picking up a copy of his book ‘The Natural History of Rabies‘. That book was part of my introduction to rabies, after having learned firsthand about that horrible disease on a clinical rotation in the Philippines – see my blog “My first patient with rabies“. I read everything I could find about rabies and I learned what an important figure he was.

Dr. Baer had a long and productive scientific career. He worked for the public good out of a genuine compassion and concern for humanity. He served as head of the CDC rabies laboratory for a number of years. He went on to work in Mexico, where his efforts led to dramatic improvements in reducing rabies transmission.

Among his great contributions was the development of an oral rabies vaccine. That led to eradication of wildlife rabies in most of Europe. Even up-to the time of his passing, he was busy working on an improved vaccine for influenza.

Dr. Baer influenced so many people around the world. He is an inspiration we will never forget.

RW

A medical marvel – the influenza vaccine

I like to think there are many small miracles going on right now, as the influenza virus tries to invade North America. I imagine families and friends together, keeping warm from the cold. The flu virus hovers outside, looking in through frosted windows, hoping for a victim to enslave with its sinister viral machinery. Every year, the virus plots and schemes for a way to slip past our defenses and cause disease. Although it seems just a simple virus, it has an evil intelligence behind it.

Flu has ravaged human populations before. In 1918 for example, the Spanish flu was responsible for killing over 50 million people! Many of the victims were young and otherwise healthy. In 2009, we are much more interconnected, creating new opportunities for the virus.

Luckily we have tools to fight it- primarily the influenza vaccine. A flu shot could save your life and protect your family. Anyone who doesn’t get the flu shot should at least know the facts. Unfortunately some fear the vaccine and as a result, miss out on protective immunization.

The flu shot cannot ‘make’ you sick with influenza. There is nothing ‘alive’ in this vaccine – just inactivated proteins. Sometimes we don’t feel 100% after the shot because the immune system is activated. It’s supposed to be like that – so that when the ‘real’ flu comes along, sickness is prevented. It’s like going to the gym: after a work out, your muscles are sore the next day. If you give the immune system a ‘work out’, you might feel lousey for a day or two. These symptoms shouldn’t be that terrible — think of what the ‘real’ flu would do!

The other scenario is when a different virus comes along at about the same time as when the shot was administered. It might appear as if the flu shot caused an infection, but technically it is impossible. An egg allergy or a history of Guillan-Barre syndrome (a very rare neurological disorder) would be the only valid reasons for declining the flu shot.

There are a few other things to know about the flu shot. It is a purified collection of proteins that are the three ‘best guesses’ for which strain of flu will attack this year. Because it takes about 6 months to make a vaccine, flu experts have to pick the most likely candidates in advance of the flu season. Sometimes they are wrong, but each year we get immunized, we add to our immune system’s library of information to keep us healthy. A flu shot actually lasts for several years, but because the flu comes out as a different strain each year, it is best to get a new shot each season.

According to the CDC, about 10% of us this year will catch the flu, whether it’s recognized or not. How much suffering or missed days from work could this mean? What about those deaths that could have been prevented? We can shield our families and friends by getting immunized. February is actually the peak month of flu activity in North America, so it isn’t too late.

For those who are afraid of needles, there is a ‘Flumist’ which can be given up the nose as a spray. This is especially nice for children – since there is less anxiety than with an injection. This vaccine is a ‘live’ vaccine so caution is recommended as with other live vaccines. Your doctor will help decide which vaccine is best for you.

Learn more about influenza from the CDC website.

Be smart, get vaccinated, and save a life!

RW

Miracles Happen – the story of Jeanna Giese

This story isn’t really a ‘small miracle’ at all, but a really big one!  You may have heard of it before, but it’s worth repeating here.

 

I was lucky because I got to see with my own eyes, hear with my own ears and touch with my own hands the teenager Jeanna Giese who was miraculously saved from rabies.  Whether by a true miracle of prayer or a miracle of science through a treatment developed by Dr. Rodney Willoughby and colleagues at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Jeanna survived rabies - a disease that should have killed her.

 

Jeanna was a teenage kid who loved animals.  One month before these events, she had picked up a bat in her church – the bat was sick and had fallen from the choir onto the floor.  Jeanna wanted to help the poor creature, so she asked her mom if she could pick it up and take it outside.  Jeanna did so, yet the bat latched onto her finger with its teeth and wouldn’t let go!  Although she didn’t realize it at the time, the bat had rabies.  (of course it’s never a good idea to pick up any wild animal – an animal’s natural instinct even without rabies is to bite). The bat fluttered off, and Jeanna and her family thought that was the end of that strange incident.

 

One month later though, she developed some bizarre symptoms which took doctors several days to recognize as rabies.  She had fevers, double vision and tingling of the arm.  She developed speech problems and gradually got worse over the next few days – slipping into a state near coma.  After rabies was confirmed from blood tests, Dr. Willoughby decided to try a new treatment by trying to protect the brain with sedation while the body ‘fought’ the virus.