Rabies – a dumb disease

Dog vaccination programs are the most effective way to prevent Rabies   Rabies is endemic to over 150 countries, and according to the World Health Organization, 99% of all transmissions to humans are from dogs, potentially bringing into question the animal’s status as the ‘man’s best friend’.  In Europe, southern Africa, and parts of North America, most cases are acquired from wild carnivores; mongooses, and vampire bats in Latin America and the Caribbean. In more recent years, humans have acquired rabies from inhalation of aerosols in bat caves, ingestion of dogs and cats for food, ticks, cart-scratches, and inadvertent transplantation of corneas or internal organs from infected donors.  In recognition of World Rabies Day, we have asked our co-founder, Dr. Stephen Berger, for his take on the disease. He didn’t hold back with the assessment! “Rabies, from an evolutionary standpoint, is a truly “stupid” disease. Most animals with Rabies virus infection become paralyzed and die – thereby preventing the survival and reproduction of the virus itself. Ebola and Smallpox, albeit highly contagious, are also “stupid” in this respect,” said Dr. Berger, highlighting an interesting point. When a disease limits its access to new hosts, how does it survive and continue to spread? How long before it’s too late? Virus transmission takes place via exposure to infected saliva, not necessarily a bite –  although bites are the most common means ...
Source: GIDEON blog - Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Tags: Epidemiology News Source Type: blogs