What does the human PEP protocol for rabies include for unvaccinated individuals?

The human Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) protocol for rabies in unvaccinated individuals is critical for preventing the disease after potential exposure, such as an animal bite. For someone who has not been previously vaccinated against rabies, the standard treatment includes four doses of rabies vaccine administered over a specific time frame.

The PEP regimen typically involves the administration of the rabies vaccine on days 0, 3, 7, and 14 following the exposure. This schedule is designed to allow the individual's immune system to mount an appropriate response to the rabies virus, thereby preventing the onset of the disease, which has a nearly universal fatality rate once clinical symptoms appear.

Wound care is also important, but it is not a substitute for vaccination; it helps to remove any virus from the wound site, but the vaccine is essential for building immunity. Immediate isolation and observation are not part of the standard protocol for unvaccinated individuals after rabies exposure. Therefore, the correct approach for unvaccinated individuals who may have been exposed to rabies is the administration of four doses of rabies vaccine along with proper wound management.