Postmortem Confirmation of Human Rabies Source

Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2006

performed, HU/5862/Osaka/JP distinctly belonged to genotype 1. Therefore, sapovirus classification based on capsid sequence is questionable. We suggest that sapovirus classification should rely not only on capsid sequence but also on polymerase sequence.

Veterinary Research Communications, 2007

Rabies is diagnosed by FAT in the impression smears of brain tissues. In this study, an attempt was made to diagnose rabies using in situ polymerase chain reaction (ISPCR). A digoxigenin-labelled double-stranded probe specific for a portion of the ‘N’ gene of rabies virus was used. Positive signals were identified as blue dots in the intraneuronal and neuropil areas.

Archives of Virology, 2011

Rabies is endemic throughout most of Asia, with the majority of human cases transmitted by domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). Here, we report a case of rabies in a 12-year-old girl in the Lalitpur district of Nepal that might have been prevented by better public awareness and timely post-exposure prophylaxis. Molecular characterization of the virus showed 100% identity over a partial nucleoprotein gene sequence to previous isolates from Nepal belonging to the 'arctic-like' lineage of rabies virus. Sequence analysis of both partial nucleoprotein and glycoprotein genes showed differences in consensus sequence after passage in vitro but not after passage in vivo.

Virus Research, 1996

We compared the genomes of nine dog rabies virus isolates using two molecular methods. The viruses used in the comparison included three Ethiopian rabies strains from carrier dogs, a street strain from a rabid dog from the same geographic area, two saliva isolates made from an experimentally infected carrier dog, the virus isolated from the tonsil of this carrier dog at necropsy, and two laboratory strains. We produced overlapping polymerase chain reaction (PCR) segments spanning 97% of the genome. Restriction analysis of these PCR products with AvaII, Bc1I, and BamHI detected 39 variable sites representing 668 nucleotides (nt) or 5.5% of the genome. We also compared the DNA and the deduced peptide sequences of a 200-nt segment of the 3′ end of the rabies nucleoprotein gene. Previous work with these Ethiopian carrier viruses and the endemic street strain had failed to show any differences among them. Both restriction mapping and sequence analysis of 200 nt of the nucleoprotein gene allowed us to individually identify these isolates. Phylogenetic analyses of these data sets showed only the two saliva isolates of the experimentally infected carrier dog to be identical. Each of the viruses in this study, including the one isolated from the tonsil of the experimentally infected carrier dog, could be distinguished by these techniques.

Journal of Clinical Virology, 1999

Background: Allernalives to antigenic typing are needed Tor epidemiologic surveys o f the rabies v/rus associated with translocated coyotes and roxes, especially i n areas where a closely related rabies virus is transnlitted by striped skunks. Objrctivm: We developed and evaluated two enzyme based typing methods Tor rabies virus. The products o f a reverse tranrriplion-polymerase chain reaction (RTIPCR) o r the nucleoprotein gene were hybridized to type specific probes and detected by enzyme assay alter immobilization on microliter plates. Study design: We tested RTIPCR products of 27 rabies isolales by two different D N A enzyme immunoassays ( D E I A ) ;+nri evaluated the quality of the results from 111s corresponding nucleotide sequene o r the sa~nples. Rcsults: Using a set o f two probes. one o f the D E l A s correctly identified 26/27 samples as variants o f rabies virus associated with either skunks, roxes, or coyotes. The identity of olle fox rabies sample was unresolved by this assay. The second D E l A correctly idenlified 24/27 samples as variants o f rahies virus associated with eithet. skunks. lores. or coyotes. This assay did not resolve the idenlily o f two fox rab~es samples, and misidentified one fox rabies sample as a skunk rabies sample. Conclusions: D E l A can be used lor epidemiologic studies o l v:~riants o f rabies virus associated with nkul~ks. foxes, and coyoles. Uoth D E l A melhods were efreclive when typing probes recognized changes at a minimum o r two nucleotide posilions between variants, but only one assay method was sufhciently stringem to detect a single base pail-mis~n:~lch. The inherent mutability o l R N A viruses must be considered when designing and evaluating typing merho~is. 6) 1999 Published by Elsevicr Science B.V. A l l rights reserved.

Virus research, 2006

Human rabies cases have been on the rise during the past few years in China and a total of 2651 cases were reported in 2004. To better understand the current rabies epidemics in China, we isolated rabies viruses from dogs and humans from five provinces and characterized ...

Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2003

Two distinct clinical patterns, encephalitic (furious) and paralytic (dumb), have been recognized in human rabies. It has been postulated that different rabies virus variants associated with particular vectors may be responsible for these different clinical manifestations. Analysis of the glycoprotein (G), nucleoprotein (N), and phosphoprotein (P) genes of rabies viruses from 2 human cases of encephalitic rabies and from 2 human cases of paralytic rabies demonstrated only minor nucleotide differences. Deduced amino-acid patterns of the N protein were identical in both human and canine samples that came from the same geographic location, regardless of the clinical form. All differences in amino-acid patterns of the G protein were found outside the ectodomain, in either the signal peptide or the transmembrane and endodomains. None of the amino-acid differences of the P protein was within the interactive site with dynein. These findings support the concept that clinical manifestations of rabies are not explained solely by the associated rabies virus variant.

Virus Research, 2008

Human rabies virus vaccine strain CTN181 from China was sequenced. The overall length of the genome was 11,923 nucleotides (nt), comprising a leader sequence of 58 nt, nucleoprotein (N) gene of 1353 nt, phosphoprotein (P) gene of 894 nt, matrix protein (M) gene of 609 nt, glycoprotein (G) gene of 1575 nt, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp, L) gene of 6387 nt, and a trailer region of 70 nt. The five monocistrons are separated by intergenic regions (IGRs) of 2, 5, 5 and 24 nucleotides (nt), respectively. Two obvious differences between CTN181 and the other rabies virus vaccine strains were (1) the putative stop/polyadenylation signal of the G gene has only one poly (A) tract for CTN181, and (2) the start of the open reading frame for L has two repeats of ATG for CTN181. Both were similar to the SHBRV-18 (silverhaired bat-associated RV strain 18) strain. In addition, some mutations and new functional regions were discovered that are presumed crucial to the function of leader region and L protein. There is an equal role for all five genes in the phylogenetics of rabies virus.

Veterinary Microbiology, 2005

Despite the recognized stability of rabies virus, differences among isolates from different species have been found. This work was carried out with the aim to identify antigenic and genomic differences in Brazilian rabies virus isolates and to verify whether such alterations would bear any relationship with the different hosts for the virus in nature. For that, 79 Brazilian rabies viruses isolated from different host species and from distinct regions within Brazil were submitted to antigenic characterization with a panel of 11 monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) directed to lyssavirus antigens and to genomic analyses by the reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification of the N gene followed by restriction endonuclease analysis (REA). In addition, the nucleotide sequences of part of the N gene (225 bp) of seven isolates, taken as representative of the majority of the viruses under study, were determined. The analyses with the Mabs and RT-PCR/REA allowed the identification of two major groups of variants, the first formed by most isolates of cattle and bats and the second formed by viruses of dog origin. Partial sequencing of the N gene confirmed the similarity among isolates from cattle origin and those of vampire bats. However, viruses from non-haematophagous bats exhibited consistent differences from those of vampire bat isolates. Such findings suggest that the variants have evolved fairly stable modifications, which are not altered after passage in a dead-end host of a distinct species. No association could be established between antigenic or genomic alterations and geographic distribution of the isolates, which suggests that evolution of the virus has been directed to adaptation to the host species. #

Emerging Infectious Diseases, 2009