Genetic and antigenic typing of rabies virus in Chile. Brief report.
Forty-one isolates of rabies virus from insectivorous bats and one from a domestic cat in Chile, were characterized using eight anti-nucleoprotein monoclonal antibodies (N-Mabs) and by nucleotide sequence analysis. Thirty-two isolates were identified as antigenic variant 4 associated with Tadarida brasiliensis bats, twenty-eight were genetically associated with variant Tadarida brasiliensis and four with Lasiurus sp. bats. One isolate was identified as antigenic variant 3 associated with Desmodus rotundus bats, and by genetic analysis was identified as variant Myotis sp. bat. Eight isolates were unrelated to any antigenic variant, and they were identified as a genetic variant associated with Histiotus sp. bats. These antigenic and genetic characterizations may establish epidemiological links between rabies cases and increase the understanding of rabies epidemiology in this country.
Yung
V
V
Laboratorio de Diagnóstico de Rabia, Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile, Santiago, Chile. vyung@ispch.cl
Favi
M
M
Fernández
J
J
D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D002677:Chile; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000821:virology; D004285:Dogs; D051379:Mice; D010802:Phylogeny; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology