[New animal hosts of rabies virus in mountain areas in Zhejiang province].
OBJECTIVE
To understand the prevalence of rabies among wild animals and the animal species in rabies epidemic areas of Zhejiang province.


METHODS
One hundred and sixty samples were collected from the brain tissues of cats, stoats, Apodemus agrarius, Moschus chinensis, and Sus scrofa in Lishui and Chunan cities of Zhejiang province. Each sample was divided into four parts: cerebrum, mesencephali, cerebellum and gyms hippocampi which were used to determine the positive samples by detection of rabies virus specific antigens and nucleotides, using DFA and RT-PCR methods.


RESULTS
Positive slides in the tests contained a glaring, apple green brilliance fluorescence using rabies virus specific monoclonal antibody against nucleoprotein. Using Nested-PCR method targeted at part of N gene, five positive samples were identified which consisting of four positive samples from stoats with positive ratio as 8.33% (4/48) and one positive sample from Apodemus agrarius with positive ratio as 1.75% (1/57). However, no positive result was found from cats, Moschus chinensis, and Sus scrofa samples.


CONCLUSIONS
Rabies virus positive samples were identified from stoats and Apodemus agrarius in the mountain areas, with biological diversity in Lishui and Chunan cities of Zhejiang province, indicating that stoats and Apodemus agrarius might have played a role in human rabies and acted as host of rabies virus. In order to effectively prevent and control rabies virus under these complicated geographical and ecological environment, we must understand and evaluate the infection situation among animals in these regions.
Lei
Yong-liang
YL
Lishui Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Zhejiang 323000, China.
Wang
Xiao-guang
XG
Li
Hao
H
Chen
Xiu-ying
XY
Ye
Bi-feng
BF
Liu
Fu-ming
FM
Lan
Jin-quan
JQ
Ye
Xia-liang
XL
Mei
Jian-hua
JH
Tang
Qing
Q
D000818:Animals; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D001921:Brain / Q000821:virology*; D002415:Cats / Q000821:virology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D045969:Mustelidae / Q000821:virology; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D011818:Rabies / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013552:Swine / Q000821:virology
D000956:Antigens, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral