Pathogen: genus Lyssavirus
Category of pathogen: virus
Name of the disease caused by pathogen: Rabies (a viral neuionvasive disease that causes acute encephalitis)
Symptoms of infection: In humans symptoms start as headache, fever, and general malaise. An infected person might experience symptoms progression into cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, confusion, agitation, delirium, hallucinations, and insomnia. Once the disease is symptomatic, it is nearly 100% fatal and not effectively treatable.
Behavioral symptoms in animals include episodes of aggression or irritability, loss of fear of natural enemies (for example wild animals will not exhibit fear around people), trembling, seizures.
Primary hosts: wild carnivores and bats
Other hosts: humans
Route of transmission: The virus is spread through saliva of an animal that has been infected. This usually occurs through a bite wound inflicted on an uneffected animal.
Ro: 1.62-2.33
Prevalence: Rabies is prevalent in poverty stricken civilizations, where there is little to no interference on the part of the government. Places such as Russia, Austria, Spain, Portugal, Egypt, Africa, Palestine, Arabia, Japan, China, Siam, Siberia, Tibet, and the Philippines have a problem with rabies, particularly in wild/stray dogs.
Generation time: 3-12 weeks (in raccoons)
Mortality rate: Nearly 100% once the disease is symptomatic (individuals are often unaware that they are infected until they experience symptoms). There are only 6 known cases of survival when treatment was given after the individual experiences symptoms.
Morbidity rate: 100% and nearly 100% lethal
Is it preventable? Yes! There is a vaccine that is often given to pets and people who are in close contact with many animals.
Does the disease trigger long lasting immunity? The disease is usually fatal.
When was the pathogen first described and is there evidence of it being around much earlier than that? Rabies was first confirmed in Trinidad in 1931, however it is suspected to have been in bats living in Brazil in the 1910s.
What is the economic impact of the disease? In the US alone, $300 million is spent on the prevention and treatment of rabies. This cost includes: vaccinations, animal control programs, lab maintenance, and medical costs of treatment.
The coolest thing I learned about Rabies is that once you realize you have been exposed and contracted the virus it is TOO LATE!
Citations for the above information include:
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/pagerender.fcgi?artid=1580648&pageindex=7#page
