The Deadliest Virus on Earth
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell・9 minutes read
Chickenheads filled with rabies vaccine rained in Europe in the 1970s to combat the deadly rabies virus spread by infected wildlife since the 1930s, highlighting the importance of vaccination to prevent the spread of the virus and protect both humans and animals. Named after the ancient Greek spirit of mad rage, Lyssa, the lyssavirus with only five genes infects mammals, evades the immune system, travels to the brain, and causes confusion, aggression, and paralysis before migrating to the salivary glands for transmission, making it one of the deadliest viruses with no known effective therapy once symptoms appear.
Insights
- Lyssa virus, responsible for rabies, has a sophisticated method of evading the immune system, traveling to the brain, and causing severe symptoms like confusion and paralysis, making it one of the deadliest viruses known.
- Vaccination against rabies is essential, as it primes the immune system to combat the virus effectively, emphasizing the critical role of vaccination in preventing the spread of this deadly disease.
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Recent questions
What is the history of rabies?
Rabies, named after the ancient Greek spirit of mad rage, Lyssa, has been a threat for over 4000 years. It turns animals into angry beasts and humans into zombies that fear water.
How does the rabies virus infect hosts?
The lyssavirus, with only five genes, infects mammals by starting with a bite from an infected animal. It evades the immune system, travels to the brain, replicates, and infects new hosts.
What are the symptoms of rabies in humans?
Rabies causes confusion, aggression, and paralysis by disrupting neuron communication in the brain. It then migrates to the salivary glands for transmission, leading to encephalitis, organ failure, and coma.
How does the immune system respond to rabies?
The immune system dispatches Killer T Cells to fight the infection in the brainstem, but the virus manipulates the immune system to avoid destruction. It also avoids immune responses by blocking interferon production.
Why is vaccination crucial in preventing rabies?
Vaccination prepares the immune system to combat the rabies virus effectively, even after exposure. It is important to get vaccinated after contact with potentially infected animals to prevent the spread of rabies.
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Summary
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Deadly Rabies Virus: Eradication and Vaccination Efforts
- In the 1970s, Chickenheads filled with a vaccine to combat rabies rained in Europe, aiming to eradicate the deadly virus that had been sweeping wildlife populations since the 1930s.
- Rabies, named after the ancient Greek spirit of mad rage, Lyssa, has been a threat for over 4000 years, turning animals into angry beasts and humans into zombies that fear water.
- The lyssavirus, with only five genes, infects mammals, evades the immune system, travels to the brain, replicates, and infects new hosts, starting with a bite from an infected animal.
- Lyssa enters nerve cells, hijacks a delivery system using dynein motors, and avoids immune responses by blocking interferon production, making it invisible to the immune system.
- The virus slowly travels to the brainstem, where the immune system dispatches Killer T Cells to fight the infection, but Lyssa manipulates the immune system to avoid destruction.
- Lyssa's method of causing death is unclear, but it disrupts neuron communication in the brain, leading to confusion, aggression, and paralysis before migrating to the salivary glands for transmission.
- Encephalitis develops rapidly, causing organ failure and coma, with no known effective therapy once symptoms appear, making rabies one of the deadliest viruses.
- Vaccination is crucial, as it prepares the immune system to combat Lyssa effectively, even after exposure, highlighting the importance of vaccination after contact with potentially infected animals to prevent the spread of rabies.
