Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42581393›Full record

ArticleTropical diseases, travel medicine and vaccines2026

Rabies viral RNA and antibody response after post-exposure prophylaxis: Implications for blood donor deferral.

Aman Dev Singh, Simmi Oberoi, Kanwardeep Singh, Simranpreet Kaur, Monika Garg, Rajni Bassi, Amandeep Kaur, Kartik Attri, Shefali Gajebasia

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Article in Tropical diseases, travel medicine and vaccines, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Aman Dev SinghDepartment of Community Medicine Including Public Health, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India. adsingh44rssb@gmail.com.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8938-2847
Simmi OberoiDepartment of Community Medicine Including Public Health, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India.
Kanwardeep SinghDepartment of Virology, Government Medical Colllege, Amritsar, Punjab, India.
Simranpreet KaurDepartment of Community Medicine Including Public Health, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India.
Monika GargDepartment of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India.
Rajni BassiDepartment of Immunohematology and Blood Transfusion, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India.
Amandeep KaurDepartment of Virology, Government Medical Colllege, Amritsar, Punjab, India.
Kartik AttriDepartment of Community Medicine Including Public Health, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India.
Shefali GajebasiaDepartment of Community Medicine Including Public Health, Government Medical College, Patiala, Punjab, India.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRabies post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) using anti-rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin is widely recognized as highly effective. However, individuals who receive PEP are typically deferred from blood donation for a full year, largely due to theoretical concerns about transfusion safety. However, the evidence supporting such a prolonged deferral remains limited.

objectivesThis study aimed to assess rabies real-time RT-PCR status and serological responses among PEP recipients at various intervals following treatment and to consider whether these findings might justify a re-examination of the current one-year blood donor deferral policy after anti-rabies treatment.

methodsWe conducted a single-center interventional study at an anti-rabies clinic in a tertiary hospital in North India. The study enrolled twenty immunologically naïve adults who had sustained category III animal bites, with no prior rabies exposure or treatment, and who adhered fully to the protocol. Participants received anti-rabies vaccines and equine rabies immunoglobulin as appropriate for their category. Follow-up samples were collected between as early as 48 days and 120 days after the bites. These samples were tested for rabies viral RNA using real-time RT-PCR (Geno-Sens Rabies Real-Time PCR Kit), and antibody titers were measured using ELISA (Rabies Platelia Kit II). Data analysis included descriptive statistics, percentile analysis, correlation analysis, and regression analysis, as appropriate.

resultsIn this cohort, dogs were responsible for 90% of bites, with 85% of incidents being unprovoked and 65% involving lower limbs. All participants tested negative using RT-PCR. ELISA titers ranged from 0.881 to 4.449 IU/mL, and all participants exceeded the protective threshold of 0.5 IU/mL. The mean titer was 2.97 ± 1.04 IU/mL.

conclusionThe lack of detectable rabies viral RNA, together with sustained protective antibody titers, indicates an effective response to PEP in this group. These findings support a more evidence-based reconsideration of the current prolonged blood donor deferral following anti-rabies treatment.

Indexed as

Blood donorsEnzyme-linked immunosorbent assayPost-exposure prophylaxisRabiesRabies vaccinesReverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction

Identifiers

PMID42581393
PMCPMC13459404

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