Phylogenetic analysis of rabies virus isolated from canids in North and Northeast Brazil.
Cases of canine rabies continue to occur in North and Northeast Brazil, and the number of notifications of rabies cases in wild canids has increased as a result of the expansion of urban areas at the expense of areas with native vegetation. In light of this, we performed molecular characterization of rabies virus isolates from dogs and Cerdocyon thous from various states in North and Northeast Brazil. In all, 102 samples from dogs (n = 56) and Cerdocyon thous (n = 46) collected between 2006 and 2012 were used. The nucleotide sequences obtained for the N gene of rabies virus were analyzed, and phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of two distinct genetic lineages, one associated with canids and one with bats, and, within the canid cluster, two distinct sublineages circulating among dogs and Cerdocyon thous. In addition, phylogenetic groups associated with geographic region and fourteen cases of interspecific infection were observed among the isolates from canids. Our findings show that analysis of rabies virus lineages isolated from reservoirs such as canids must be constantly evaluated because the mutation rate is high.
Pasteur Institute, Av. Paulista 393, São Paulo, SP, 01311-000, Brazil. deborarhcp@hotmail.com.
Débora Nunes
DN
de Souza
Pasteur Institute, Av. Paulista 393, São Paulo, SP, 01311-000, Brazil.
Pedro
P
Carnieli
Pasteur Institute, Av. Paulista 393, São Paulo, SP, 01311-000, Brazil.
Carla Isabel
CI
Macedo
Pasteur Institute, Av. Paulista 393, São Paulo, SP, 01311-000, Brazil.
Rafael
R
de Novaes Oliveira
Pasteur Institute, Av. Paulista 393, São Paulo, SP, 01311-000, Brazil.
Helena Beatriz
HB
de Carvalho Ruthner Batista
Pasteur Institute, Av. Paulista 393, São Paulo, SP, 01311-000, Brazil.
Adriana Candido
AC
Rodrigues
Pasteur Institute, Av. Paulista 393, São Paulo, SP, 01311-000, Brazil.
Patricia Mariano Cruz
PMC
Pereira
Pasteur Institute, Av. Paulista 393, São Paulo, SP, 01311-000, Brazil.
Samira Maria
SM
Achkar
Institute of Agricultural and Forest Defense of Espírito Santo, St. Desembargador José Fortunato 95, Vitoria, ES, 29066-070, Brazil.
Luiz Fernando Pereira
LFP
Vieira
Pasteur Institute, Av. Paulista 393, São Paulo, SP, 01311-000, Brazil.
Juliana Galera Castilho
JGC
Kawai
D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D046028:Canidae / Q000821:virology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004285:Dogs; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005838:Genotype; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D058974:Phylogeography; D011818:Rabies / Q000662:veterinary*; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017385:Sequence Homology
D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins; C099601:nucleocapsid protein, Rabies virus