Rabies Virus: Knowledge Gaps and Challenges to Elimination

Dear Colleagues,

Globally, rabies is one of the oldest viral zoonoses with descriptions of “hydrophobia” and “rabid dogs” dating back thousands of years. Alongside this, infection with the rabies virus, or any one of the lyssavirus group of viruses, invariably results in death following the onset of clinical disease. As such, rabies remains one of the most feared viral diseases globally. Vaccines to prevent the disease have existed for decades, and the host reservoirs of disease are well established. Regardless, rabies causes more than 59,000 human deaths annually, although this is generally considered to be an underestimate of burden through lack of reporting in endemic areas. Recent global efforts have focused on eliminating the human burden of rabies, with total elimination the target for 2030. This Special Issue focuses on the existing knowledge on all areas of this important pathogen and areas where the current understanding of this zoonotic pathogen are lacking. As such, it aims to both champion efforts to eliminate the pathogen as well as identify areas of the disease that remain poorly understood and where further research may be warranted.

Primary research and review articles that are linked to this broad remit are invited to build a collection of relevant, informative pieces on this devastating zoonotic disease.

Dr. Ashley C. Banyard
Prof. Dr. Anthony R. Fooks
Guest Editors

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