rabies virus infection: a case series and literature review

Background: rabies is a fatal and often neglected disease leading to encephalomyelitis following a bite by an infected mammal. according to the necessity of rabies disease in iran, we present four cases of rabies virus infection. case presentation: we presented 4 cases of rabies virus infection hospitalized in different hospitals in iran in 2021-2022. three patients were male. the youngest patient was 6 years old and the oldest was 81 years old. in all 4 cases, rt-pcr detected the positive virus infection. three cases received rabies immunoglobulin. all of them received at least one dose of rabies vaccination; but, unfortunately, all patients died.conclusion: the present case series showed the necessity of early rabies vaccination and also the early organization of stray dogs in the community. unfortunately, two cases were lost to follow-up. so, the population education and follow-up of suspected rabies patients must be taken seriously by healthcare facilities.