Large-scale phylogenetic analysis reveals genetic diversity and geographic distribution of rabies virus in South-East and South Asia

作者：Liang Zhang, Sheng Sun, Wenjie Gong, L. Alexa Thompson, Jeffrey A. Cruz, Kinzang Dukpa, Riva Marie Gonzales, Zhongzhong Tu, Biao He, Yan Liu, Changchun Tu, Ye Feng · 发表于：Infection Genetics and Evolution · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.1016/j.meegid.2023.105472 · 被引用次数：9 · 研究领域：Rabies epidemiology and control、Poxvirus research and outbreaks、Microbial infections and disease research

South-East Asia (SEA) and South Asia (SA) are two important geographic regions with the most severe enzootic rabies in the world. In these regions, phylogenetic analysis of rabies virus (RABV) has been conducted only at a country level; the results obtained from different countries are scattered and unequal, with a non-uniform system to name RABV genotypes. Therefore, it is difficult to undertake origin-tracking and compare inter-country RABV evolution and transmission. To avoid the confusion in understanding and to generate a panoramic picture of RABV genetic diversity, distribution, and transmission in SEA and SA, the present study conducted a systematic phylogenetic analysis by combining all sequences representing 2368 RABV strains submitted to GenBank by 14 rabies endemic SEA and SA countries. The results showed that RABVs circulating in two regions were classified into four major clades and many subclades: the Asia clade is circulating only in SEA, the Indian subcontinent, and Arctic-like clades only in SA, while the Cosmopolitan clade has been detected in both regions. The results also showed a wide range of hosts were infected by divergent RABV subclades, with dogs being the major transmission source. However, wildlife rabies was also found to be an important issue with 6 wild carnivore species identified as potential sources of spillover risk for sylvatic rabies to humans, domestic animals, and other wild animals. Current findings indicate that the two regions have se...