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

Preventing cancer, miracles in progress

President Barack Obama recently announced “seeking a cure for cancer in our time” during his Address to Joint Session of Congress February 24th, 2009. As a doctor, I was impressed with this vision, yet keenly aware of the challenges. What miracles would this take?

When JFK announced the idea of a ‘moon shot’, perhaps a similar feeling was invoked. How could something so impossible be achieved? Yet on July 20th, 1969, that dream was realized.

Perhaps a cure for cancer can be reached. The task seems enormous because “cancer” is actually a whole collection of different diseases. There are more than 250 different types of cancer, affecting all sorts of cells and tissues. Thus, the treatment protocols are many and varied. Success or failure depends on multiple factors. Sometimes it seems the treatments are temporizing at best. A ‘cure’ is just a fantastic and ultimate goal. Luckily in 2009, some cancers are easily curable. For the future, we need to invest more in this ideal.

President Obama’s idea of “investing in prevention” is a good place to start.

To me, education is the easiest and most cost-effective tool for reducing cancer morbidity and mortality. Simple changes in diet or lifestyle can have positive effects. If teens only ‘knew’ what smoking could do to the body, I can’t believe anyone would pick up a cigarette. There’s a lot more we can do to raise awareness to reduce cancer risks.

Another way to limit the impact of cancer is to make use of tools we already have. Screening for cancer, such as performing mammograms and colonoscopies, can and should be more broadly implemented. Identifying patients early will make treatments easier and save lives. It will also save ‘costs’ to the medical system and improve quality of life.

By making use of vaccines, some cancers can be prevented entirely. For example, a vaccine targeting HPV, or human papilloma virus, has the potential to prevent not just one, but several types of cancer. More than 11,000 Americans last year developed cervical cancer, with almost 4,000 deaths, something the vaccine could stop. Other cancers caused by HPV include anal cancer, other genital tract cancers and even some head and neck cancers. These could all be reduced if doctors were more proactive about vaccinating. The difficulty lies in convincing the medical establishment to shift its focus to preventing disease, not just treating it.

Society appears to be gearing up for the challenge. I’m encouraged by this revitalization of anti-cancer efforts. There is hope for the future!

RW

“March Madness” – Rabies awareness month

Rabies.  The sound of the word sends a chill down
my spine. I have seen what this virus can do, and it’s very very frightening:  Hydrophobia, ‘foaming at the mouth’, psychotic screaming, savage agression, immunity to pain.  These are symptoms of a dark, terrifying Force – a Fury unleashed.

It astounds me to know that in this 21st century, such an ancient, Evil disease can flourish in so many parts of the world.  It truly is ’madness’.

Rabies is one of the ‘neglected’ diseases of our time.  It is 100% vaccine preventable, yet 100% fatal once symptoms are present.  No other infectious disease has such an unforgiving mortality rate.  Ebola, by comparison, carries at least a 10% chance of survival. 

Miracles do occur (see Jeanna Giese) but certainly not enough of them.  We need more miracles out there, especially for the 55,000+ people who die from rabies every year according to the World Health Organization (WHO).  The fear, the terror I’ve seen in children’s faces suffering from rabies haunts me.  I wish somebody would do something…

Rabies and the miracle of ‘Starfish’ palliative care

I was back in Manila, headed towards San Lazaro hospital, a veritable mecca for Infectious Diseases in the Philippines.

 

Stepping down onto the platform of the LRT (Light Rail Transit) into a throng of people, the thick humid air  descended on me immediately.  The steam bath was oppressive.  I pushed through the crowds, cringing as the train screeched away.

 

I worked my way through the turnstiles, passing a gaggle of beggars dressed in rags with dirty, tousseled hair.  Mostly young children, four, five years old.  What a future…  Motorcycles sputtered by like annoying kazoos.  Sometimes 4 or more people were seen variously packed onto these bikes.  How they ever didn’t fall off, I wasn’t sure.

 

Hulking shiny metal jeepneys, brightly hand painted, revved up and down the roads.  Filthy soot belching from their exhaust pipes.  Most of the female passengers held handkerchiefs to their faces to limit the particulate inhalations.  Ten, twenty, maybe even more passengers were crammed into the back.  Hundreds of children in school uniforms, everywhere, walking linked together at the arm.

 

I looked up at crowded houses and shops, laundry-lines criss-crossing the skies.  Webs of hundreds of wires interconnecting everything – it was an electricians worst nightmare.

 

This was my new home for the next month, and I just loved it.  Despite the outward appearances of an over urbanized mega-metropolis, the human heartbeat of Manila was palpable all around….