A Shapeshifting Protein Explains Rabies’ Deadly Power

A shapeshifting protein explains rabies’ deadly power

Researchers discovered how rabies virus exerts massive control over host cells with very few genes. A key viral protein changes shape and binds RNA, allowing it to infiltrate different cellular systems. This adaptability could explain the power of other deadly viruses, including Nipah and Ebola. The breakthrough may lead to next-generation antivirals or vaccines.

USDA Drops Live Virus-Containing Rabies Edibles from Helicopters, Airplanes Across United States—’Leaving Persons at Risk for Vaccine Exposure and Vaccine Virus Infection’: CDC

By: Jon Fleetwood Lab-engineered “Frankenstein” virus makes animals contagious for weeks, putting humans at risk and raising informed consent concerns. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has begun its annual distribution of RABORAL V-RG®, an oral rabies vaccine (ORV) bait—dropping the live laboratory-made virus from airplanes and helicopters across the United States. U.S. Centers for Disease C…