Essay On Rabies

RABIES-EPIDEMIOLOGY, PREVENTION, AND FUTURE RESEARCH

Rabies is caused by a RNA virus, survive in nature by a number of animal reservoirs. Rabies virus infects the central nervous system, resulting in progressive encephalopathy and ultimately death in infected human. Globally, the risk of rabies for humans is great in areas of the developing countries where dog rabies is common. Where rabies in dogs has been eliminated or otherwise controlled through vaccination programs, the disease can be maintained by wildlife. Wildlife primarily helps in maintenance of transmission cycles are carnivores and bats. Persons having fre quent contact with wild animals, such as raccons,bats are at greater risk than the general population for exposure to rabid animals. Rabies prevention can be achieved by elimination of exposure and by vaccination through pre-exposure prophylaxis and post-exposure treatment. Pre-exposure rabies prophylaxis affords a measure of protection for unrecognized rabies exposures and simplifies post-exposure treatment. Postexposure treatment is recommended following exposure to a potentially rabid animal and involves treatment of wound and administration of rabies vaccine as well as rabies immune globulin for individuals not previously vaccinated. Future research on rabies is necessary to define the effects of infection on wildlife

The rabies virion consists of single-stranded, negative- sense RNA contained within a bullet- shaped, bilayered envelope. The genome encodes five structural proteins. Three of these, the transcriptase, nucleoprotein, and phosphoprotein complex with the genome to form an inner nucleocapsid. The matrix protein forms the inner side of the bilayered lipid envelope and the glycoprotein forms the outer layer and spike-like projections, the target of virus neutralizing antibody