Rabies Flashcards
What viruses cause rabies?
European bat lyssavirus type 1 and 2 (EBLV-2 and EBLV-2)
What type of virus is the rabies virus? (sense, strand, RNA/DNA)
Negative sense
Single strand
RNA
What animals does rabies affect? what does it cause?
All warm-blooded animals
Fatal encephalitis
How is rabies transmitted?
Virus excreted through saliva by bites or scratches
Can be directly transmitted by transplantation
Is rabies preventable?
Yes - via vaccination
Is rabies incubation period long or short? What does it depend on?
Long - weeks to months
Depends on severity, virus, host, site of exposure
Where is the urban rabies virus?
Asia
Africa
South America
What is the reservoir of the urban rabies virus?
Domestic dogs
Where is sylvatic rabies?
East Europe
Africa
North and South America
What are the reservoir species for the sylvatic rabies virus?
Wild animals
Bat, fox, skunk, racoon,
Describe the pathogenesis of the rabies virus
Virus multiples in muscle cells of bite site
Transport of virus genomes in nerve axons to CNS
Rapid spread within the CNS and replication in nerve cells
Transports to salivary glands and other organs
Virus multiples majorly in salivary gland cells
What are the 3 forms/phases of rabies?
Prodromal
Furious/excitement
Dumb/paralytic
What are the symptoms of the prodromal phase of rabies?
Behavioural changes
Pyrexia
Mydriasis
Hypersalivation
What does the prodromal phase lead to?
Furious or dumb form
What are the symptoms of furious/excitement form of rabies?
Agitation/aggression Difficulty swallowing Seizures/muscle incoordianation Paralysis Coma Death
