title: New isolations of the rabies-related Mokola virus from South Africa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mokola virus (MOKV) is a rabies-related lyssavirus and appears to be exclusive to the African continent. Only 24 cases of MOKV, which includes two human cases, have been reported since its identification in 1968. MOKV has an unknown reservoir host and current commercial vaccines do not confer protection against MOKV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We describe three new isolations of MOKV from domestic cats in South Africa. Two cases were retrospectively identified from 2012 and an additional one in 2014.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These cases emphasize the generally poor surveillance for rabies-related lyssaviruses and our inadequate comprehension of the epidemiology and ecology of Mokola lyssavirus per se.
authors.affiliation: Center for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8376-6508
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Coertse
authors.affiliation: Center for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa.
authors.forename: Wanda
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Markotter
authors.affiliation: Allerton Provincial Veterinary Laboratory, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, 3200, South Africa.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: le Roux
authors.affiliation: Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs, KwaZulu-Natal Rabies Project, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.affiliation: Agricultural Research Council-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (ARC-OVI), Pretoria, 0110, South Africa.
authors.forename: Claude T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Sabeta
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa. louis.nel@up.ac.za.
authors.forename: Louis H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Nel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002371:Cat Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D002415:Cats; D005260:Female; D018114:Lyssavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018353:Rhabdoviridae Infections / Q000662:veterinary* / Q000821:virology; D013019:South Africa
keywords: Lyssavirus; Mokola virus; Rabies-related; South Africa