Why is it possible to prevent rabies with vaccine given after exposure to the virus?
A) The virus replicates extremely slowly. It is possible to prevent the disease by vaccinating while the viral load is very low.
B) It takes some time for the virus to invade the peripheral neurons and travel to the CNS. Vaccination before this occurs will prevent the disease.
C) It takes some time for the virus to invade the CNS and travel to the peripheral nerves. Vaccination before this occurs will prevent the disease.
D) Rabies vaccine contains anti-rabies antibodies. These bind to the rabies and virus and destroy it before it is able to cause any neuronal damage.
E) People receive a rabies vaccine in their childhood. Giving a vaccine after exposure to the virus quickly boosts their memory cell populations, protecting them.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Rabies virus takes some time to invade the peripheral neurons and travel to the CNS. Vaccination before this occurs can prevent the virus from reaching the CNS and causing the disease. Post-exposure vaccination is effective because it can still prevent the virus from traveling to the CNS before it causes damage, as the vaccine triggers a quicker immune response.

Why Is It Possible to Prevent Rabies with Vaccine Given