**6. Conclusion**

This chapter served to outline the diagnosis, clinical course, treatment, and prevention of the RNA virus RABV. A swift rabies's diagnosis is imperative to ensure the patient's greatest chance of survival. Clinicians may utilize many techniques such as MRI, rtPCR, FAT, FAVN, dRIT, and electron microscopy to diagnose patients before physical symptoms arise. The same methods can be used to confirm a diagnosis after the patient presents with symptoms if needed. Rabies can present in patients in the furious or paralytic form. Although these cause very different physical symptoms, the pathophysiology is very similar. Generally initiated by a bite or other wound, the virus will incubate in the myocytes nearest the entry point and replicate undetected for an average of 1–3 months. Eventually, the virus will infect a nerve cell and travel through axon transport to the CNS at which point it will cause encephalitis or paralysis. Once the virus has infiltrated the CNS, it is essentially incurable. However, if detected early, patients can receive PEP - a combination of active and passive immunization most frequently in the form of a cell culture vaccine and a dose of RIG. At this time, there are no antivirals considered to be effective for treating RABV. If the virus becomes established in the patient, the treatment plan is adjusted to ensure the most comfort for the patient and their loved ones. This most often consists of a variety of sedatives, pain management, antipyretics, and fluids. Due to the great lethality of RABV in humans, multiple global organizations have banded together to attempt to eradicate the modern world of the rabies virus. The Zero by 30 movement strives to implement a stepwise method to eliminate dog-mediated rabies cases worldwide by 2030. This is believed to be possible if 70% or more of the dog population is vaccinated against rabies. In combination with the vaccination goal, Zero by 30 also encourages countries to implement educational standards on rabies, bite prevention, and responsible pet ownership.

At this time, the community of RABV researchers need to be working to improve current treatment options in order to decrease the number of RABV-related deaths. This might be done by developing a mAb alternative to the too-expensive RIG options or finding an effective antiviral either currently on the market or newly developed. The release of additional rabies vaccines for humans would also help to lower the price and improve the accessibility in a way that would benefit the highly affected countries.
