Evolution of Rabies Virus and Its Vaccine

Rabies is a deadly zoonotic disease, which is caused by lyssaviruses and rabies virus. It usually infects wild animals and can also infect domestic animals.it is transmitted via saliva from infected animals if an animal or a person gets too close in contact. It can spread from bites, licks on broken skin, mucous membranes and scratches. Once the symptoms of rabies manifests, it can be fatal to animals and humans both. Rabies virus is different from other clinical diseases in a way that its spread and infection can be stopped by timely immunization, even after the subject has been exposed to an infecting agent.

Is There A Rabies Vaccination?

There are two kinds of rabies vaccinations to protect humans against the virus, namely the cell culture vaccines and nerve tissue vaccine. However, according to WHO, it is recommended to replace nerve tissue vaccination with the safer more effective counterpart that is developed through the cell culture. Cell culture vaccines are not only more affordable, but also need less amount of vaccine. Cell culture based rabies vaccine, via intradermal immunization, is a better alternative to the standard intramuscular administration.

How Have Rabies Evolved?

The extant rabies virus has constantly evolved in the last 1500 years. The 7 types of Rabies lyssavirus have gone through a definitive shift. However, Eurasia is only plagued by the three main kinds of rabies with genotype 1 also called classical rabies and in a much lesser extent European bat lyssaviruses Type 1 & 2 (genotype 5 and 6).

Genotype 1 went through an evolution phase in Europe in the 17th century and the later spread to Asia, America and Africa as a direct result of European colonization and exploration of these remote lands. Bat rabies has been present in the North America since 1218 AD. However, the rabies virus has shifted remarkably in an evolutionary way in hosts such as Chiroptera bats to Carnivora (related to skunk and raccoon). This is a result of the homologous recombination event, which took place hundreds of years ago. This evolutionary event changed the gene which encodes glycoprotein virus that is essential for receptor binding and recognition. Rabies vaccination is one of the most notable travel vaccinations Epsom has to offer. Our experts at the Miles Pharmacy UK suggest getting a rabies vaccination in event of being exposed to rabies virus, in the form of a pre-exposure prophylaxis.