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Rabies and rabies research: past, present and future
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA.
Vaccine
|April 1, 1997
Summary
Rabies remains a significant threat due to animal reservoirs and unknown factors like long incubation periods. However, advancements in vaccines and oral wildlife vaccination offer hope for rabies control and potential eradication.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Rabies is an ancient zoonotic viral disease with significant global health impact.
- Despite Pasteur's vaccine, rabies persists due to extensive animal reservoirs (domestic and wild).
- Unexplained aspects of rabies pathogenicity, including long incubation periods and novel transmission routes, pose challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current status of rabies control strategies.
- To highlight ongoing challenges in understanding rabies.
- To discuss advancements in rabies prevention and eradication.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on rabies epidemiology and control.
- Analysis of the impact of vaccination strategies on rabies incidence.
- Discussion of emerging challenges in rabies management.
Main Results:
- Development of safe and affordable vaccines for both animals and humans.
- Successful implementation of oral wildlife vaccination (recombinant rabies virus vaccines) reducing fox and raccoon rabies.
- Potential for stray dog vaccination to eradicate rabies in regions where it's the primary human exposure source.
Conclusions:
- Significant progress has been made in rabies control through vaccination.
- Oral wildlife vaccination and stray dog vaccination are promising strategies for reducing rabies incidence and achieving eradication.
- Continued research is needed to address remaining knowledge gaps in rabies pathogenicity and transmission.