Feline Rabies Study Guide
Overview and Clinical Importance
Rabies is a fatal, zoonotic viral encephalomyelitis caused by Lyssavirus rabies (family Rhabdoviridae). This neurotropic virus represents one of the most important zoonotic diseases tested on the NAVLE due to its invariably fatal outcome once clinical signs appear, significant public health implications, and legal reporting requirements.
Critical NAVLE Fact: Cats are the most commonly reported rabid domestic animal in the United States, outnumbering dogs in reported cases every year since 1990. This makes feline rabies a high-yield topic for examination.
Etiology and Virology
Viral Characteristics
The rabies virus belongs to the genus Lyssavirus (from Greek lyssa, meaning "rage" or "madness") within the family Rhabdoviridae (from Greek rhabdos, meaning "rod"). The virus is an enveloped, negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus with a characteristic bullet-shaped morphology measuring approximately 180 nm in length and 75 nm in diameter.
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