Evaluation of the antiviral effect of bee venom on rabies virus

M., Eiaka A.; F., El-Bagoury G.; M., El-Nahas E.; H., Khodeir M.

doi:10.21608/bvmj.2016.31308

Evaluation of the antiviral effect of bee venom on rabies virus

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Sera Plant, VACSERA

² Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Benha University

³ Veterinary Serum and Vaccine Research Institute, Abassia, Cairo

10.21608/bvmj.2016.31308

Abstract

It is an interesting thing to known the effect of natural matter as bee venom as antiviral agent and to any extent it could
be used in case of experimental rabies infection. In vitro study revealed that different concentrations of bee venom (started
from the original concentration “1mg/ml” up to 1:1000) did not show any cell growth retarders or cellular changes
showing normal growth rate and normal cell shape. 1mg/ml and 100μgm/ml of bee venom were able to inhibit the
replication of 100 TCID₅₀ of rabies virus (ERA strain) in using baby hamster kidney BHK cells while 10 and 1μgm/ml
were negative. In vivo study showed that mice received rabies immune globulin and BV were able to withstand the rabis
infection when the they were administrated on the o, 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd day post infection showing protection rate of 90 and
80% respectively but those mice received the treatment on the following days did not survive the infection and showed
paralysis of the hind limbs by the 4^th day and died by the 6-7^th day post infection. It could be concluded that bee venom
could be used in case of rabies infection when administrated on the suitable time post exposure

Keywords