Essay --

The rabies virus is a zoonotic disease that attacks the nervous system, leading to acute encephalitis and eventual death. Rabies is spread most commonly through contact between saliva from an infected host and the open wound of a victim, in the form of a bite. However, infection from the contamination of any mucous membrane, including the eyes and mouth, with infected saliva is also possible ("How Is Rabies Transmitted?†). Once transmittance has occurred, the virus uses the peripheral nervous system, or the â€Å"nerves and ganglia outside of the brain and spinal cord†, in order to reach the central nervous system (â€Å"Peripheral Nervous System†). During this time, known as the incubation period, the virus exhibits little to no symptoms in victims, including the ability to infect others through saliva contact ("The Path of the Virus."). The incubation period is determined by the specific length the virus has to travel to reach the brain. Subsequently, larger ani mals may experience longer incubation periods ranging from weeks to months. Once rabies reaches the central nervous system, rapid viral replication results in encephalitis, as well as the first outward symptoms. These symptoms include increased aggression, excessive drooling, disorientation, seizures, and hydrophobia (Harris County Public Health). During this time, the virus begins being secreted by the saliva glands. Unlike the incubation period, the active period is relatively short; most symptoms appear within three to five days after the incubation period, and death usually occurs within seven days after exhibiting symptoms ("The Path of the Virus."). As a result of the rapid neural degradation, rabies is nearly incurable after the onset of symptoms. The rabies virus has the ... ...in China at the time (Schiller). Due to their low medical funds, underdeveloped and developing countries have difficulty dealing with local rabies epidemics. Though rabies is still prevalent in many countries today, it has little pandemic potential. Simply, rabies has nearly been eradicated in developed countries in the last several decades, present only in isolated cases. Though underdeveloped and developing countries continue to battle rabies, the issue is more of a concern for medical funds than for rabies itself. If developing countries had the potential to purchase rabies vaccinations and promote population control legislations, then rabies would be eliminated worldwide. The fact that developed countries have lowered rabies rates to near-nonexistence is proof of possible worldwide eradication. Rabies is an issue of the past, and it has no place in the future.