Ecology and evolution of rabies virus in Europe.
The evolution of rabies viruses of predominantly European origin was studied by comparing nucleotide sequences of the nucleoprotein and glycoprotein genes, and by typing isolates using RFLP. Phylogenetic analysis of the gene sequence data revealed a number of distinct groups, each associated with a particular geographical area. Such a pattern suggests that rabies virus has spread westwards and southwards across Europe during this century, but that physical barriers such as the Vistula river in Poland have enabled localized evolution. During this dispersal process, two species jumps took place - one into red foxes and another into raccoon dogs, although it is unclear whether virus strains are preferentially adapted to particular animal species or whether ecological forces explain the occurrence of the phylogenetic groups.
Bourhy
Hervé
H
Unité de la Rage1 and Laboratoire des Lyssavirus2, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Kissi
Bachir
B
Unité de la Rage1 and Laboratoire des Lyssavirus2, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Audry
Laurent
L
Unité de la Rage1 and Laboratoire des Lyssavirus2, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Smreczak
Marcin
M
National Veterinary Research Institute, 24-100 Pulawy, Poland3.
Sadkowska-Todys
Malgorzata
M
National Institute of Hygiene, 24 Chocimska Str., 00-791 Warsaw, Poland4.
Kulonen
Katariina
K
National Veterinary and Food Research Institute, PL 368, FIN-00231 Helsinki, Finland5.
Tordo
Noël
N
Unité de la Rage1 and Laboratoire des Lyssavirus2, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
Zmudzinski
Jan F
JF
National Veterinary Research Institute, 24-100 Pulawy, Poland3.
Holmes
Edward C
EC
Wellcome Trust Centre for the Epidemiology of Infectious Disease, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK6.
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D002415:Cats; D002417:Cattle; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004285:Dogs; D004463:Ecology; D005060:Europe; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D019251:Nucleocapsid / Q000235:genetics*; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D010802:Phylogeny; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D006023:Glycoproteins; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C064951:glycoprotein G, Rabies virus; C099601:nucleocapsid protein, Rabies virus