Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Author Spotlight: A Cost-Effective Genomic Workflow for Advancing Rabies Control in Resource-Limited Settings
Published on: August 18, 2023
The role of viral evolution in rabies host shifts and emergence
Nardus Mollentze1, Roman Biek1, Daniel G Streicker2
1Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.
Abstract:
Despite its ability to infect all mammals, Rabies virus persists in numerous species-specific cycles that rarely sustain transmission in alternative species. The determinants of these species-associations and the adaptive significance of genetic divergence between host-associated viruses are poorly understood. One explanation is that epidemiological separation between reservoirs causes neutral genetic differentiation. Indeed, recent studies attributed host shifts to ecological factors and selection of 'preadapted' viral variants from the existing viral community. However, phenotypic differences between isolates and broad scale comparative and molecular evolutionary analyses indicate multiple barriers that Rabies virus must overcome through adaptation. This review assesses various lines of evidence and proposes a synthetic hypothesis for the respective roles of ecology and evolution in Rabies virus host shifts.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Viral Mutations
Viral Recombination
Size and Structure of Viral Genomes
Retroviruses
Viruses with RNA Genomes
Evolution of New Traits in Microbes

