Rabies: relevance, prevention, and management in travel medicine

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Virology
• Public Health

Background:

• Rabies is a fatal zoonotic viral disease affecting mammals.
• Terrestrial rabies, mainly transmitted by dogs, represents the primary threat to humans.
• The virus is a neurotropic, negative-stranded RNA virus belonging to the Lyssavirus genus within the Rhabdoviridae family.

Purpose of the Study:

• To summarize the transmission routes and characteristics of rabies virus.
• To highlight the significance of terrestrial rabies cycles in human health.
• To document rare cases of non-bite rabies transmission in humans.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of rabies transmission and epidemiology.
• Analysis of documented human rabies cases.
• Classification of Lyssavirus genus and related viruses.

Main Results:

• Rabies virus is transmitted via saliva of infected mammals through skin or mucosal entry.
• Dog-mediated rabies is the most critical cycle for human infection.
• Only 51 human rabies cases not linked to animal bites have been reported.

Conclusions:

• Understanding rabies transmission is crucial for prevention and control.
• Non-bite transmission routes, though rare, warrant consideration in public health strategies.
• Continued surveillance and research on Lyssavirus are essential to combat rabies globally.