title: Characterization of Sri Lanka rabies virus isolates using nucleotide sequence analysis of nucleoprotein gene.
abstract: Thirty-four suspected rabid brain samples from 2 humans, 24 dogs, 4 cats, 2 mongooses, I jackal and I water buffalo were collected in 1995-1996 in Sri Lanka. Total RNA was extracted directly from brain suspensions and examined using a one-step reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the rabies virus nucleoprotein (N) gene. Twenty-eight samples were found positive for the virus N gene by RT-PCR and also for the virus antigens by fluorescent antibody (FA) test. Rabies virus isolates obtained from different animal species in different regions of Sri Lanka were genetically homogenous. Sequences of 203 nucleotides (nt)-long RT-PCR products obtained from 16 of 27 samples were found identical. Sequences of 1350 nt of N genes of 14 RT-PCR products were determined. The Sri Lanka isolates under study formed a specific cluster that included also an earlier isolate from India but did not include the known isolates from China, Thailand, Malaysia, Israel, Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Nepal, Philippines, Japan and from several other countries. These results suggest that one type of rabies virus is circulating among human, dog, cat, mongoose, jackal and water buffalo living near Colombo City and in other five remote regions in Sri Lanka.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology 1, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan. yarai@nih.go.jp
authors.forename: Y T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kameoka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiino
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Wimalaratne
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Lodmell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002020:Buffaloes; D002335:Carnivora; D002415:Cats; D002417:Cattle; D004285:Dogs; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005814:Genes, Viral; D008988:Herpestidae; D006801:Humans; D019251:Nucleocapsid / Q000235:genetics*; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D010802:Phylogeny; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis*; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D013045:Species Specificity; D013188:Sri Lanka
chemical_list: D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; D012367:RNA, Viral; C099601:nucleocapsid protein, Rabies virus