Extraneural Rabies Virus Infection Leads to Tissue Damage and Cell Death in Mice

Abstract

Rabies, a fatal neurological disease caused byLyssavirus rabies(RABV), poses a significant threat to public health globally. Despite extensive studies on RABV-induced neuropathology, the involvement of extraneural organs during rabies pathogenesis and the tropisms of wild-type strains to different organs remain largely unknown. Here, we investigated the tropism of a dog and bat RABV variant to three different extraneural tissues (kidneys, lungs and liver) and characterized cellular and tissue damage associated with infection in mice over 30 days. Our results reveal that RABV may have a tropism for the kidneys and cause tissue-specific cellular damage. Furthermore, we propose that RABV spreads to extraneural tissues simultaneously with central nervous system (CNS) infection. Understanding the involvement of extraneural organs in rabies pathogenesis may contribute to the development of effective treatment strategies of this fatal disease.