What type of microorganism is Rabies?

Answer 1

It is caused by a virus that is bullet shaped: the Lyssavirus. It is one of the seven genera that form the family Rhabdoviridae, within the order Mononegavirale. The virus does not need a broken skin to enter the body.

Although the vast majority of Rabies infections occur as the result of dog bites, Rabies can enter the body by breathing bat guano, eating rabid meat,

solid organ transplant, contact of infected saliva to a mucosal surface, corneal transplant. It also can enter unbroken skin by handling the bodies of bats that are infected with the virus. The incubation period can be relatively short 4-6 days or long -up to seven years. Inoculation with IgG antibodies and vaccination at the time of exposure is successful in preventing full blown rabies which is fatal in 99.99% of the time. There have been several cases of people surviving rabies using the Milwaukee protocol, but again the chances of surviving are only increased to 2/10.