Rhabdoviridae: Rabies and Vesicular Stomatitis Viruses

Abstract

Diseases: Rabies, hydrophobia (rage, tollwut, la rabia, mal de cadeiras); vesicular stomatitis. Etiologic Agents: Lyssaviruses include lyssavirus serotype 1 (rabies virus), lyssavirus serotype 2 (Lagos bat virus), lyssavirus serotype 3 (Mokola virus), lyssavirus serotype 4 (Duvenhage virus); vesicular stomatitis viruses. Source: Rabies—dogs, foxes, skunks, raccoons, insectivorous bats, vampire bats; vesicular stomatitis virus—cattle, horses, pigs. Clinical Manifestations: Rabies—encephalitis, often with intermittent hyperexcitability, hydrophobia and aerophobia, following a prodromal period with tingling at the bite site; paralysis, usually ascending (Landry), coma, and death. Vesicular stomatitis— tongue vesicles and hoof (coronary band) and snout lesions in cattle, horses, and pigs. Laboratory Diagnosis: Rabies—fluorescence of brain impressions by the fluorescent antibody technique. Isolation of virus in brain or saliva by mouse inoculation or by neuroblastoma cell culture. Vesicular stomatitis—complement fixation testing of antigen in vesicular fluid, with confirmation by fluorescent antibody and neutralization. Epidemiology: Rabies—worldwide, except in a few countries, mostly islands such as Australia, England, and Japan. A disease of dogs in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, but of wild animals (foxes, skunks, raccoons, and insectivorous bats) in Europe, Canada, and the United States. Vampire bat rabies extends from northern Mexico to northern Argentina. Vesicular stomatitis—limited to the western hemisphere, endemic in the tropical and subtropical countries, and sporadically extends, with outbreaks, to temperate areas. Treatment: None. Prevention and Control: Rabies—prexposure vaccination of dogs and cats; local wound treatment and postexposure vaccination of humans; preexposure vaccination of humans at special risk. Vesicular stomatitis—awaits clarification of the epidemiology of the disease.