rabiesvirus

Rabies virus is a neurotropic virus that causes rabies, a fatal disease of the central nervous system. It belongs to the Lyssavirus genus within the Rhabdoviridae family. The virus is typically transmitted to humans through the saliva of infected animals, most commonly via bites, but also through scratches or aerosolized virus in rare cases. Domestic animals like dogs, cats, and bats, as well as wild animals such as raccoons, foxes, and skunks, are frequent reservoirs.

The virus enters the peripheral nervous system and travels to the brain. Initial symptoms are often nonspecific, including fever, headache, and malaise. As the disease progresses, neurological symptoms become more pronounced, such as hydrophobia (fear of water), aerophobia (fear of drafts), agitation, confusion, and paralysis. Once clinical symptoms appear, rabies is almost invariably fatal.

Diagnosis can be confirmed through laboratory testing of animal or human tissue, typically brain or spinal cord samples. Prevention is primarily achieved through vaccination of domestic animals and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) in humans who have been potentially exposed to the virus. PEP involves a series of rabies vaccines and, in some cases, rabies immune globulin. There is no cure for rabies once symptoms manifest.