Ribavirin has an In vitro Antiviral Effect in Rabies Virus Infected Neuronal Cells but Fails to Provide Benefit in Experimental Rabies in Mice

Ribavirin has an In vitro Antiviral Effect in Rabies Virus Infected Neuronal Cells but Fails to Provide Benefit in Experimental Rabies in Mice

The nucleoside analog ribavirin is one of the antiviral drugs recommended in the management of several viral infections in humans. Although ribavirin has been used in rabies treatment, its efficacy has not been formally proven. The objectives were to study the effect of ribavirin on rabies virus (RABV) infection in neuronal cultures, to analyze whether orally-given ribavirin activates an innate immune response in the brain and whether ribavirin confers protection against brain infection in a model of experimental rabies in mice.