In 1885, Louis Pasteur and Émile Roux created the first effective rabies vaccine, marking the first time a human was successfully treated for the disease. This achievement became a landmark in the history of rabies vaccine development, and an improved form of the vaccine was introduced in 1908. ^[1]

Understanding rabies

Rabies is caused by viruses belonging to the Lyssavirus genus of the Rhabdoviridae family. These viruses attack the nervous system, with the rabies lyssavirus being the primary strain that infects humans. Other related strains, such as the Australian bat lyssavirus, can also produce the disease in people.

Rabies is most often passed on through the bite or saliva of an infected animal, usually dogs, but also wild species such as bats, raccoons, foxes, and skunks. Once inside the body, the virus travels through the nerves to the brain, where it triggers inflammation in the brain and spinal cord.

Once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal, with a near 100 percent mortality rate. Typical signs include fever, confusion, fear of drinking water (hydrophobia), muscle paralysis, agitation, coma, and eventually death within a short period. ^[2]

The challenge before vaccination

Before 1885, rabies was seen as an almost certain death sentence once symptoms appeared. No treatment could stop the disease after exposure, and traditional remedies offered no real help. Historical accounts show that the illness nearly always ended in death, with fatality rates close to 100 percent.

Louis Pasteur and Early Experiments

In the 1880s, Louis Pasteur applied his work on germ theory and vaccines to the study of rabies. He carried out experiments using infected rabbits and dogs. Through these studies, he found that drying the spinal cord of infected rabbits reduced the strength of the virus but still allowed it to stimulate the body’s defenses. This process, known as attenuation, became the foundation for creating the first rabies vaccine. ^[3]

First Human Case: Joseph Meister (1885)

In July 1885, nine-year-old Joseph Meister from Alsace was mauled and bitten several times by a rabid dog. His mother, Marie-Angélique, desperate to save him, traveled to Paris to seek help from Louis Pasteur, who had been experimenting with rabies in animals.

During that period, rabies was regarded as incurable after the onset of symptoms, and Pasteur’s vaccine had been proven effective only in animals like dogs and rabbits. This made his team, including Émile Roux, hesitant to try it on a human. However, physician Jacques Joseph Grancher persuaded Pasteur to proceed and took responsibility for giving the treatment.

Over a period of ten days, Grancher administered a series of injections to Joseph. To everyone’s relief, the boy recovered fully and never developed rabies, marking the first successful use of the vaccine in a human. ^[4]

Evolution of Rabies Vaccines

Following Pasteur’s breakthrough, the earliest rabies vaccines were made using nervous tissue from infected animals. These vaccines had to be given in many doses over several weeks and sometimes caused nerve-related side effects because of the tissue used. ^[5]

The shift from nervous tissue-based vaccines to cell-culture vaccines significantly improved safety by eliminating the risk of neurological side effects, such as paralysis and inflammation.

In 1957, a safer option called the purified duck embryo vaccine became available. Over the next two decades, more advanced cell-culture vaccines were introduced, including the human diploid cell vaccine in 1978, the purified chick embryo cell vaccine in 1984, and the Vero cell–based vaccine in 1986. ^[6]

These modern vaccines proved far safer and more effective. They required fewer injections, caused fewer complications, and soon became the global standard for rabies prevention.

Modern Rabies Prevention

Today, the importance of rabies vaccination depends on vaccination given either before or after exposure. Pre-exposure vaccination is advised for people at greater risk, such as veterinarians, laboratory staff, and travelers to regions where rabies is common. Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is critical for anyone bitten or scratched by a potentially rabid animal and involves immediate cleaning of the wound followed by a series of vaccine doses.

In serious or high-risk cases, rabies immunoglobulin (RIG) is also used with the vaccine. RIG supplies ready-made antibodies at the site of the bite, offering instant protection until the person’s own immune system builds its defense. When given quickly, this combined approach is highly effective in preventing rabies. ^[2]

According to the World Health Organization, prompt administration of PEP and RIG is essential to successfully prevent disease after exposure. ^[7]

Conclusion

The development of the rabies vaccine in 1885 changed the course of medical history by turning a once fatal disease into one that can be prevented. From Pasteur’s first success to today’s safe and effective vaccines, this progress continues to save countless lives. The story of the rabies vaccine shows how scientific discovery can transform global health.

References:

1. Nunnally, B. 2014. Vaccine Analysis: Strategies, Principles, and Control. Springer, p. 63.

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 2024. “Rabies: About.” CDC. Accessed September 3, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/rabies/about/index.html.

3. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2025. “Louis Pasteur: Vaccine Development.” Britannica. Accessed September 3, 2025. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-Pasteur/Vaccine-development.

4. Institut Pasteur. 2015. “History of the First Rabies Vaccination (1885).” Institut Pasteur. Accessed September 3, 2025. https://www.pasteur.fr/en/research-journal/news/history-first-rabies-vaccination-1885.

5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 1984. “Rabies Prevention — United States, 1984.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 33 (RR-4): 1–22. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00000572.htm.

6. Streefland, Pieter H. 2019. “Public Doubts about Vaccination Safety and Resistance against Vaccination.” In Vaccine Hesitancy: Public Trust, Expertise, and the War on Science, edited by Maya Goldenberg, 19–34. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21084-7_2.

7. World Health Organization. “Rabies Fact Sheet.” Updated August 2021. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/rabies.

_MSM