Rabies Virus

Rabies virus, also Rabies lyssavirus, is a member of the Lyssavirus genus of the Rhabdoviridae family. It is a neurotropic virus. Like many rhabdoviruses, has an extremely wide host range, including mammals, birds, reptiles and insects.

Rabies virus is enveloped and have a single stranded RNA genome with negative-sense. The genetic information is packaged as a ribonucleoprotein complex (RNA is tightly bound by the viral nucleoprotein). The RNA genome of the virus encodes five genes whose order is highly conserved. These genes code for nucleoprotein (N), phosphoprotein (P), matrix protein (M), glycoprotein (G) and the viral RNA polymerase (L).[5] The complete genome sequences range from 11,615 to 11,966 nt in length.