banner
 

Home History Ten Things to Remember Molecular Biology 2007/2008 Findings Vaccine Profile Other Online Resources Links to Student Pages Pathogen Cards References

 

Ten Important Things To Remember About Rhabdoviridae:

1. Rabies is the most lethal of all human infectious diseases (mortality rate of about 100%).

2. Rabies has the widest host range of any human virus.

3. Rabies has no natural host reservoir in which the host is not killed.

4. Rabies has a unique mode of viral transmission (some other viruses can be transmitted this way but don't depend on it) - by vertebrate bite.

5. Rabies results in a coordinated series of behaviors in its host (especially carnivores) that is necessary for transmission of the virus (namely increased aggression).

6. Rabies has a long incubation period until the development of the disease.

7. The long latency period allows for post-exposure vaccination.

8. The Pasteur rabies vaccine was the first vaccine developed in a planned fashion.

9. Rhabdoviridae have a unique bullet-shaped morphology.

10. VSV has been used as a model to elucidate many topics in molecular biology.