Final Summary: Natural Rabies Infection in a Domestic Fowl 1

Final Summary: Natural Rabies Infection in a Domestic Fowl

Dallin Peterson
College Biology I Laboratory (LS)
Salt Lake Community College
Final Summary: Natural Rabies Infection in a Domestic Fowl 2

Rabies, a Lassavirus, primarily infects mammals. It is a fatal virus that most commonly is

transmitted in the US by infected foxes, skunks, raccoons, and bats. Globally, unvaccinated

domestic animals such as dogs and cats are found to be reservoirs of rabies virus. All mammalian

reservoirs are capable of transmission, however not all potential vectors are reservoirs

(Rupprecht, 2004). Due to the collaboration of animal health agencies in the United States, rabies

virus is rarely found in domestic animals.

In 2015, rabies virus was found to infect a domestic fowl in the country of India. As

described above, rabies infection in a non-mammalian species, like a bird, is uncommon. The

purpose of this research article is to show the likelihood of a domestic fowl being infected with

rabies virus by conducting scientific testing on the bird along with epidemiologic trace back to

find the most likely mode of infection. Parts of the scientific method were described as

researchers hypothesized different modes of transmission by discovering evidence through

serologic and nucleic acid testing.

The infected domestic foul was found in a rural part of India, known to have high rates of

rabid dogs. 90% of human infections occur due to exposure to rabid dogs in India and

bordering Asian countries. The other 10% of cases were found to be transmitted by cats,

monkeys, and other wild animals (Baby, 2015). Epidemiological investigations indicated that

the bird was bitten by a stray dog in the breast muscle and was found deceased one month later.

The correlation between this exposure and viral infection was strengthened by DNA sequencing

results later described in this summary.

Before death, the bird was described to have symptoms of droopiness with abnormal

behavior before death, which are common symptoms of rabies virus. The average incubation

period for a mammal is 1-3 months after being infected which fits the timeline between infection
Final Summary: Natural Rabies Infection in a Domestic Fowl 3

and death in the bird (Peterson, 2017). Samples were collected and necropsy was conducted to

rule out other viral infections.

Results for the necropsy did not indicate any significant lesions on the brain or any of the

visceral organs. These findings would rule out a few arboviral infections including West Nile

Virus. The bite wound on the breast muscle was fully healed at the time of autopsy. Polymerase

chain reaction (PCR) testing came back positive for rabies virus in brain tissues. Fluorescent

antibody tests was also positive for rabies virus antigens. Viral sequencing was conducted and

compared different rabies strains, ranging from infected humans in India to other mammals such

as foxes, goats, and cows found in other parts of the world. The domestic fowl strain of rabies

virus was found to best resemble the strain of virus found in a domestic dog found in the area

where the fowl was located.

This research indicates the possibility of rabies virus infecting other animals besides

mammals. As seen with other diseases, migratory birds are capable of introducing new

pathogens into new locations of the world. Although, rabies has not been introduced to wild

animal populations in many pacific islands near India, the introduction of an infected bird could

introduce the virus to a virgin population.

Final Summary: Natural Rabies Infection in a Domestic Fowl 4

Works Cited
Baby, J., Mani, R. S., Abraham, S. S., Thankappan, A. T., Pillai, P. M., Anand, A. M., . . .
Sreekumar, S. (2015, July 22). Natural Rabies Infection in a Domestic Fowl (Gallus
domesticus): A Report from India. Retrieved July 20, 2017, from
http://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pntd.0003942
Peterson, D. (2017, July 07). Rabies Disease Plan. Retrieved July 20, 2017, from
http://health.utah.gov/epi/diseases/rabies/plan.pdf
Rupprecht, C. E., & Gibbons, R. V. (2004). Prophylaxis against Rabies. New England Journal of
Medicine, 351(25), 2626-2635. doi:10.1056/nejmcp042140