Reexamination of Human Rabies Case with Long Incubation in Australia
Author Information
Author(s): Johnson Nicholas, Fooks Anthony, McColl Kenneth
Primary Institution: World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Rabies and Rabies-Related Viruses, Weybridge, UK
Hypothesis
Long incubation periods should be considered in human cases of acute encephalitis in rabies-free countries with a history of travel to rabies-endemic areas.
Conclusion
The investigation suggests that the source of the rabies virus in the young girl was more likely from China than Vietnam.
Supporting Evidence
- Long incubation periods are rare for rabies virus infections.
- An earlier study showed that rabies developed within 6 months of exposure in 90% of cases.
- The phylogenetic tree indicates that the virus from the patient is distinct from Australian bat lyssavirus.
Takeaway
Sometimes, rabies can take a really long time to show up after someone gets infected, and this study looked at a case where it took over 6 years.
Methodology
The study involved phylogenetic analysis of rabies virus sequences from the patient and comparison with other rabies virus sequences from Southeast Asia.
Limitations
The study was limited by the lack of representative sequences from Vietnam.
Participant Demographics
The case involved a 10-year-old girl of Vietnamese origin.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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