title: An outbreak of sheep rabies in Shanxi province, China.
abstract: This study describes an outbreak of rabies in a flock of 110 sheep in Yangqu county, Shanxi province, China, in 2010. The flock, housed in a cave being used as a sheepfold, was attacked by a rabid dog, which resulted in 36 deaths over the following 2 days from the crushing and trampling caused by panic, and some 15 further deaths from rabies 2 weeks later. Rabies in the sheep was confirmed by the fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and RT-PCR. Rabies virus was isolated from the index dog brain and its N gene was partially sequenced (nucleotides 77-880). Results showed that the canine isolate (SXTYD01) was rabies virus with the N gene fragment 100% identical to that of the virus isolated from rabid sheep. This is the first confirmed sheep rabies outbreak in China. The clinical presentation of the disease is also described.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Military Veterinary, Academy of Military Medical Sciences, Changchun, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000821:virology; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000635:transmission*; D004285:Dogs; D019085:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D011818:Rabies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral