Molecular epidemiology of rabies in Southern People's Republic of China.
In recent years, the number of human rabies cases in the People's Republic of China has increased during severe epidemics in 3 southern provinces (Guizhou, Guangxi, and Hunan). To analyze the causes of the high incidence of human rabies in this region, during 2005-2007, we collected 2,887 brain specimens from apparently healthy domestic dogs used for meat consumption in restaurants, 4 specimens from suspected rabid dogs, and 3 from humans with rabies in the 3 provinces. Partial nucleoprotein gene sequences were obtained from rabies-positive specimens. Phylogenetic relationships and distribution of viruses were determined. We infer that the spread of rabies viruses from high-incidence regions, particularly by long-distance movement or transprovincial translocation of dogs caused by human-related activities, may be 1 cause of the recent massive human rabies epidemics in southern China.
Tao
Xiao Yan
XY
Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Tang
Qing
Q
Li
Hao
H
Mo
Zhao Jun
ZJ
Zhang
Hong
H
Wang
Ding Ming
DM
Zhang
Qiang
Q
Song
Miao
M
Velasco-Villa
Andres
A
Wu
Xianfu
X
Rupprecht
Charles E
CE
Liang
Guo-Dong
GD
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000662:veterinary; D004197:Disease Reservoirs; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000821:virology; D004285:Dogs; D005814:Genes, Viral; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000821:virology; D017720:Molecular Epidemiology; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D011818:Rabies / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000662:veterinary / Q000821:virology; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification
D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; C099601:nucleocapsid protein, Rabies virus