Rabies and other lyssavirus diseases

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Rabies, a fatal zoonotic viral disease, has an unknown global burden primarily due to inadequate surveillance systems.
• Hydrophobia, a hallmark symptom of rabies encephalitis, affects tens of thousands of individuals annually.
• Emerging Lyssavirus threats, such as European bat lyssavirus in the UK, underscore the expanding scope of viral encephalitis concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the significant, yet largely unquantified, global burden of human rabies.
• To discuss the expanding awareness of the Lyssavirus genus and its implications for public health.
• To underscore the challenges in controlling animal rabies and ensuring accessible human prophylaxis worldwide.

Main Methods:

• Reviewing current understanding of Lyssavirus epidemiology and disease manifestations.
• Examining the neurotropic mechanisms employed by Lyssaviruses, including viral hijacking of cellular transport systems.
• Assessing global challenges in animal rabies control and human post-exposure prophylaxis provision.

Main Results:

• The precise global scale of human rabies remains undetermined due to surveillance limitations.
• Lyssavirus infections, including bat-borne variants, pose geographically diverse health challenges.
• Research is beginning to elucidate how these neurotropic viruses disrupt neural functions and evade immune responses.

Conclusions:

• Effective global rabies control necessitates improved surveillance and management strategies tailored to regional variations in viral vectors.
• Understanding the molecular pathogenesis of Lyssaviruses is crucial for developing better countermeasures.
• Accessible and appropriate human prophylaxis remains a critical, yet unmet, global health need.