Teen rabies survivor leaves hospital

[Amelia]

Teen rabies survivor leaves hospital

Saturday, January 1, 2005 Posted: 4:22 PM EST (2122 GMT)

WAUWATOSA, Wisconsin (AP) -- A teenager who became the first person known to survive rabies without a vaccination went home Saturday after nearly 11 weeks in the hospital, officials said.

Jeanna Giese, 15, "was very excited to be going home," said hospital spokeswoman Jackie Gauger.

Giese was infected when a bat bit her at church September 12 but she did not immediately seek treatment. She began showing symptoms of rabies October 13 and was hospitalized two days later.

A team of physicians at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin gambled on an experimental treatment and induced a coma as part of efforts to stave off the usually fatal infection.

In recent weeks, Giese has worked to regain her weight, strength and coordination, although Gauger said she needs more physical and occupational therapy.

Only five people besides Giese are known to have survived the rabies virus after the onset of symptoms. But unlike Giese, they had either been vaccinated or had received a series of rabies vaccine shots before showing symptoms.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said it is re-evaluating its approach to human rabies because of the results.

[Gregory Matthews]

Notice:

a) The weeks she spent in a hospital.

The time she spent in a coma.

c) The rehabilitation that lies ahead of her.

d) She was in a reasearch program where she had the finest of medical care.

Would you trade taking shots for all of the above? Would you have the same care? Would you be able to afford it?