The current trend of rabies and other lyssavirus infections, and the novel information on the pathogenicity of the rabies virus
2004
Minamoto, N.(Gifu Univ. (Japan))
In this paper I present some information on rabies and other lyssavirus infections, diseases which Japan is greatly concerned about if brought into the country, and can cause panic in society if by any chance, an outbreak were to occur. As rabies has not been reported in Japan for nearly half a century, it has been relegated to the status of a forgotten infectious disease in this country. However, in the neighboring Asian countries, Africa, and America, the number of rabies cases has not decreased, but on the contrary, looks to be in an increasing trend. In Russia and the former Soviet Union countries (CIS countries) the number of rabies cases shows a yearly increase in recent years, thanks to the free flow of information. Between 30,000-50,000 fatal cases of rabies in both humans and animals are reported annually. It is thought, however, that the actual number might run up to hundreds of thousands. Japan, Taiwan, UK, Australia, and New Zealand are rabies-free countries. But they should be considered exceptions, rather than the norm. Due to the long lull during which rabies has not occurred in Japan, people tend to forget that the disease can infect all mammals including humans, with a mortality rate of 100 % after manifestation of debilitating nervous symptoms, and that it is one of the most dangerous zoonotic viral diseases on earth. I also describe the novel information on the pathogenicity of the rabies virus advanced by establishment of reverse genetics systems in mononegaviruses
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