Rabies: The Diabolical Virus With Many Symptoms and Hosts With Rodney Rohde

Rodney Rohde, Ph.D., Regents’ Professor and Chair of the Medical Laboratory Science Program at Texas State University discusses the many variants, mammalian hosts and diverse neurological symptoms of rabies virus. Take the MTM listener survey!

Ashley’s Biggest Takeaways:

• Prior to his academic career, Rohde spent a decade as a public health microbiologist and molecular epidemiologist with the Texas Department of State Health Services Bureau of Laboratories and Zoonosis Control Division, and over 30 years researching rabies virus.
• While at the Department of Health Lab, Rohde worked on virus isolation using what he described as “old school” cell culture techniques, including immunoassays and hemagglutinin inhibition assays.
• He also identified different variants of rabies virus, using molecular biology techniques.
• Rohde spent time in the field shepherding oral vaccination programs that, according to passive surveillance methods have completely eliminated canine rabies in Texas.
• In the last 30-40 years, most rabies deaths in the U.S. have been caused by bats.
• Approximately 98% of the time rabies is transmitted through the saliva via a bite from a rabid animal.
• Post-exposure vaccination must take place before symptoms develop in order to be protective.

Links for This Episode:

• Molecular epidemiology of rabies epizootics in Texas.
• Bat Rabies, Texas, 1996–2000.
• The Conversation: Rabies is an ancient, unpredictable and potentially fatal disease. Rohde and Charles Rupprecht, 2 rabies researchers, explain how to protect yourself.
• The One Health of Rabies: It’s Not Just for Animals.
• MTM listener survey!