Bat-to-Man

Bat-to-Man

The possibility of viruses spreading from bats to humans has taken on very real significance to us all in the last few years. Different species of lyssavirus, a family that includes the rabies virus, are carried by bats and there have been cases of cross-species transmission to other mammals. Researchers examined the mechanisms and transmission of 10 different lyssavirus species in mice. They developed a new pathogenicity index, ranking the viral incubation times and impact on survival. They found notable variation between species, and even found some to have higher rankings than rabies virus samples. Further investigation revealed that lyssavirus species (green in the mouse brain section pictured) are capable of infecting not only neurons (blue) but other brain cells called astrocytes (green) as well, revealing new details about how lyssaviruses affect animals, which could help equip us to handle potential virus outbreaks in the future.

Written by Anthony Lewis

Image from work by Antonia Klein and colleagues

Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, January 2022

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Lyssavirus Hemophagia Variant (LHV)

LHV is a highly virulent mutated form of rabies virus that has evolved to infect humans. This virus is particularly dangerous as it attacks the host's blood cells and vital fluids, leading to severe anemia and a constant need for replenishment through blood and interstitial fluids.

It can be transmitted through bites from infected individuals, and once it enters the bloodstream, it rapidly replicates. The virus undergoes a painful process of taking over the body and brain. Symptoms can appear within a short time frame of just a few hours, or it can take up to several days to slowly progress.

Physical Symptoms: extreme pain all throughout the body, fever, muscle spasms, vomiting of blood, and a burning sensation in the skin.

Psychological Symptoms: paranoia, confusion, anxiety, visual and auditory hallucinations, irritability, and hydrophobia.

These symptoms can be overwhelming and may be too much for some individuals to handle, particularly children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems, leading to fatal outcomes.

One of the unique features of LHV is that infected individuals are unable to tolerate sunlight, which can cause severe blisters, burns, and lesions on the skin. This sensitivity to sunlight may be due to the virus's effect on the host's immune system, which becomes weakened as the virus continues to replicate and destroy blood cells.

It is important to note that infected individuals are fully aware of their actions. However, they are unable to control their behavior and are driven by the virus's need for survival. Infected individuals are extremely violent and aggressive and should be avoided at all costs.

Currently, there is no known cure for LHV.