RABIES PROPHYLAXIS

In humans, rabies still is a fatally evolving encephalomyelitis caused by a Rhabdovirus of the genus Lyssavirus. In general, the disease is contracted through a contact with an infected mammal. Taxonomically, d ifferent rabies and closely related rabies-like viruses can be disting uished. New molecular identification techniques can be utilized as epi demiological tools to study the geographic distribution and presence i n different reservoirs of the viruses. Antigenic diversity and new ins ights in the mechanisms of the immune response can have serious implic ation in vaccine strategies. Virus detection for diagnostic and epidem iological purposes-can be done by immunofluorescency, by inoculating m urine neuroblastoma cells and by using molecular techniques. Rabies is a zoonosis with a worldwide distribution. In Belgium, the epizootic i s present in the Southern part of the country. Fox vaccination campaig ns contributed significantly to the eradication of the virus from its natural reservoir. The importance of the prophylactic and therapeutic use of the vaccine, the control of wildlife animal reservoir and strin gent public health measures to combat rabies is discussed. Due to stri ngent control measures, no endogenous case of human rabies have been r eported since 1922 in Belgium.