Rabies+Virus

__**Rabies (From Latin: “Madness”) **__


 * Root Cause: **

The rabies virus is the type species of the Lyssavirus genus. The genetic information is packaged as a ribonucleoprotein, and encodes for five genes: nucleoprotein (N), glycoprotein (G), phosphoprotein (P), Matrix protein (M), and viral RNA polymerase (L). The RNA hijacks the ribosomes of the affected cell and produces these proteins so more viruses can be made. Once this occurs the new viruses can be budded out of the cell to infect others (Finke & Conzelmann, 2005).


 * Affected Cell Types: **

This virus infects muscle cells and nerve cells. In humans the neural brain cells are infected. Once the rabies virus reaches the central nervous system and a few months progress symptoms begin to emerge (CDC).




 * Historical Background: **

Because the side effects of the rabies virus are violent in nature, this disease has been known since 2000 BC (Adamson, 1977). The first written record of rabies is in the Mesopotamian Codex of Eshununna which describes that the owner of a dog showing symptoms of rabies. Rabies was extremely prevalent in the 19th century and was considered a scourge (Adamson, 1977). In ancient medical texts it was noted to remove the tongue of the infected as that is where it was thought to originate. This was stopped upon the discovery of the actual cause (Baer, 1991).


 * Common Symptoms: **

The period between infection and the first flu-like symptoms is normally two to twelve weeks, but can be as long as two years. Symptoms expand to slight or partial paralysis, cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, insomnia, confusion, agitation, abnormal behavior, paranoia, terror, hallucinations, and violence (Rabies symptoms, WebMD). Later symptoms include the production of large quantities of saliva and tears coupled with an inability to speak or swallow, which result in hydrophobia. Death occurs two to ten days after first symptoms. Once symptoms are presented survival is extremely rare (Rupprecht, 2006). Only one person has been known to survive, Jeanna Giese, who was treated with Milwaukee protocol. This protocol rate has a survival rate of about eight percent (Jordan, 2008).


 * Standard Treatment: **

The rabies vaccine was developed by Louis Pasteur and Emile Roux and was originally harvested from infected rabbits (Geison, 1978). Now a less expensive purified chicken embryo cell vaccine and purified vero cell rabies vaccine are available (Ly, 2009).


 * Current Research: **

Kostense, S. (2012). Validation of the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (rffit) for rabies virus neutralizing antibodies in clinical samples. American Society for Microbiology.

Palusa, S. (2012). The 3′ untranslated region of the rabies virus glycoprotein mrna specifically interacts with cellular pcbp2 protein and promotes transcript stability. PLoS ONE, 7(3).

Rieder, M. (2012). Genetic dissection of interferon-antagonistic functions of rabies virus phosphoprotein: Inhibition of interferon regulatory factor 3 activation is important for pathogenicity. Journal of Virology, 85(2), 842.


 * References: **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Adamson, P. B. (1977). The spread of rabies into Europe and the probable origin of this disease in antiquity. The Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 2(2), 140-144.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Baer, G. M. (1991). The natural history of rabies. (2nd ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press Inc.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Finke, S., & Conzelmann, K. K. (2005). Replication strategies of rabies virus. Virus Res., 11(2), 120-131.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Geison, G. L. (1978). Pasteur's work on rabies: Reexamining the ethical issues. Hastings Center Report, 8(2), 26-33.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Jordan, L. (2008). Medical mystery: Only one person has survived rabies without vaccine--but how?. Scientific American.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Ly, S. (2009). Rabies situation in cambodia. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 3(9), 511.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 140%;">Rupprecht, C. E. (2006). Current and future trends in the prevention, treatment and control of rabies. Expert Review of Anti-infective Therapy, 4(6), 1021-1038.