Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 15, 2026
09:54
Postmortem Diagnosis of Rabies in Animals by the Updated, Multiplexed LN34 Real-Time Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay
Published on: May 2, 2025
[Neuritis cordis and myocarditis in rabies].
1MVZ für Histologie, Zytologie und Molekulare Diagnostik, Wissenschaftspark Trier, Trier. feiden@hotmail.de
Der Pathologe
|December 25, 2012
Summary
Rabies virus travels to the heart via nerves, causing neuritis cordis and myocarditis. This can lead to critical heart issues and blood pressure crises in infected humans.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Cardiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Rabies virus (RV) spreads through the central nervous system (CNS) and can disseminate to peripheral organs.
- Autonomic nervous system (ANS) involvement is a known pathway for RV dissemination.
Observation:
- This case report details a 49-year-old male with a history of dog bite in Asia.
- Immunohistochemistry confirmed rabies virus infection in the cardiac nerves and myocardial fibers.
Findings:
- The study identified neuritis cordis (inflammation of cardiac nerves) and rabies myocarditis (inflammation of heart muscle).
- These cardiac manifestations are linked to significant clinical effects on heart rate and myocardial function.
Implications:
- Cardiac rabies can precipitate blood pressure crises, a characteristic of human rabies.
- Understanding cardiac involvement is crucial for diagnosing and managing rabies, especially in endemic regions.
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