Video - Rabies virus

The rabies virus is a single-strand RNA virus from the rhabdovirus family, known to affect the nervous system of mammals, including humans. The rabies virus is transmitted by animal saliva, particularly from wildlife in developed countries and dogs in developing countries. After a bite from an infected animal, the virus travels in neurons in a retrograde fashion from the peripheral nervous system to the brain. After a long incubation period, the virus causes symptoms like fever and paresthesia, followed by encephalitic rabies, which causes hydrophobia, overactivation of the autonomic nervous system, aggressive behavior, and ascending paralysis. Post-exposure treatment involves wound cleaning, passive immunization, and a vaccine. When the symptoms appear before treatment is given, the virus becomes fatal.