How does rabies reproduce

In many areas of the world, the dog is the most important vector of the rabies virus to humans. Other important sources of disease are the wolf in eastern Europe, the mongoose in Africa, the fox in western Europe, and the bat in Latin America and the United States.

Inhalation of heavily contaminated material, such as bat droppings, can also cause infection. How does the rabies virus spread from the site of inoculation? Rabies virus first replicates in striated muscle tissue at the site of inoculation. It then enters the peripheral nervous system at the neuromuscular junctions and spreads up the nerves to the central nervous system, where it replicates exclusively within the gray matter.

It then passes centrifugally along autonomic nerves to reach other tissues, including the salivary glands, adrenal medulla, kidneys, and lungs. Passage into the salivary glands in animals facilitates further transmission of the disease by infected saliva. What is the incubation period for rabies? The incubation period ranges from 10 days to a year, depending on the amount of virus introduced, the amount of tissue involved, the host immune mechanisms, and the distance the virus must travel from the site of inoculation of the central nervous system.

Thus, the incubation period is generally shorter with face wounds than with leg wounds. Immunization early in the incubation period frequently aborts the infection. Rodney E. Recently, Dr. He is a board-certified specialist in Virology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology. We are always looking for ways to improve customer experience on Elsevier. We would like to ask you for a moment of your time to fill in a short questionnaire, at the end of your visit.

If you decide to participate, a new browser tab will open so you can complete the survey after you have completed your visit to this website. Thanks in advance for your time. About Elsevier. Set via JS. Elsevier Connect. View by community or topic. Library Connect. Societies' Update. Healthcare Professionals. Home Elsevier Connect 8 things you may not know about rabies — but should. Raccoons are the most commonly reported rabid animal in the United States. Rabies is not as rare as you think.

The low number of cases compared with that in many developing countries is attributable to two key factors: Rabies biologicals are readily available for exposed individuals, and they are percent effective if administered promptly and properly.

An average of 40, people a year receive this prevention treatment , according to the CDC. Animal control and rabies vaccination programs for dogs and cats are prevalent. Some animals are more likely to transmit rabies than others.

You can protect yourself against rabies. There are many tips you can follow to avoid being bitten and potentially exposed to rabies, such as: Avoid approaching strange animals.

Do not handle downed bats. Report bites to the proper officials for example, the local rabies control authority, animal control officer, game warden, or local health department employee.

For children, a teacher or parent is a good reporting resource. Do not feed wildlife. Do not handle sick, injured or dead animals. Hillman Professor in Molecular Biology, a professor of molecular biology and the Princeton Neuroscience Institute, and the study's senior author. Enquist and colleagues previously found that alpha herpesviruses engage the neuronal transport machinery by stimulating protein synthesis at infected nerve terminals.

Viral transport to the cell body can therefore be blocked by drugs that inhibit protein synthesis, as well as by cellular antiviral proteins called interferons. In the current study, Enquist and colleagues investigated how the rabies virus engages the neuronal transport machinery.

The researchers infected neurons with a virulent strain of the virus tagged with a red fluorescent protein, allowing the researchers to observe viral transport in real time by live-cell fluorescence microscopy.

Usually, the vaccine and the immune globulin are given immediately. Waiting to observe wild animals for 10 days is not recommended. When possible, these animals are put to sleep euthanized , and their brain is examined for the rabies virus as soon as possible. The vaccine is stopped if the animal tests negative for the rabies virus.

Because people may not notice a bat bite, they are given the vaccine if a bite seems possible. For example, if someone awakens and a bat is in the room, the vaccine is given. For people bitten by livestock, small rodents, large rodents such as woodchucks and beavers , rabbits, or hares: Each biting incident is considered individually, and public health officials are consulted.

People who are bitten by hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, squirrels, chipmunks, rats, mice, other small rodents, rabbits, or hares almost never require rabies vaccination. If people who have been bitten need preventive treatment and have not been immunized previously, they are given rabies immune globulin and rabies vaccine right away on day 0. Immune globulin is injected around the wound if possible. They are given three more injections of the vaccine: on days 3, 7, and People with a weakened immune system by a disorder such as AIDS or a drug are given an additional injection on day If people have already been vaccinated, the risk of developing rabies is reduced.

However, the wound must be cleaned promptly, and an injection of rabies vaccine is given immediately and on day 3. After symptoms develop, no treatment can help. At this point, the infection is virtually always fatal. Treatment involves relieving symptoms and making people as comfortable as possible. Rarely, people who are given support in an intensive care unit for a long time survive. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention : Rabies. This web site provides links to how rabies is transmitted, what its symptoms are, how to prevent rabies, and when to seek medical care, as well as information for specific groups of people and other resources.

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Common Health Topics. Courtesy of. Before an animal bite After an animal bite. More Information. Brain Infections. Test your knowledge. A brain abscess is a pocket of pus in the brain. Which of the following is NOT a common cause of a brain abscess? More Content. Rabies By John E. Click here for the Professional Version.