Abstract
Rabies is a viral zoonosis that is transmissible to humans via domestic and wild animals. There are two epidemiological cycles for rabies, the urban and the sylvatic cycles. In an attempt to study the epidemiological role of wild canidae in rabies transmission, the present study aimed to analyze the genetic characteristics of virus isolates and confirm prior suggestions that rabies is maintained through a dog reservoir in Tunisia. Virus strains isolated from wild canidae were subject to viral sequencing, and Bayesian phylogenetic analysis was performed using Beast2 software. Essentially, the virus strains isolated from wild canidae belonged to the Africa-1 clade, which clearly diverges from fox-related strains. Our study also demonstrated that genetic characteristics of the virus isolates were not as distinct as could be expected if a wild reservoir had already existed. On the contrary, the geographic landscape is responsible for the genetic diversity of the virus. The landscape itself could have also acted as a natural barrier to the spread of the virus.
Highlights
Introduction and Stefania LeopardiThe rabies virus belongs to the Lyssavirus genus
The objective of this study was the molecular characterization of rabies viruses isolated in Tunisia from wild canids, foxes and jackals, in order to compare them with variants that were previously reported from dogs in the area
A maximum likelihood inferred tree was divided into six different lineages, identified as Asian, Cosmopolitan, Africa-2, Africa-3, Africa-4, and Arctic-related lineages (Figure 1), all of which are of the Rabies virus (RABV) virus species
Summary
The rabies virus belongs to the Lyssavirus genus. RNA virus with a genome size of approximately 12 kb It contains five genes, namely the nucleoprotein (N), the phosphoprotein (P), the matrix protein (M), the glycoprotein (G) and the large protein or polymerase (L), and a non-coding region [1,2]. 17 different viral species have been identified [4]. Rabies is a viral infectious zoonotic disease endemic in many regions of the world, Asia, Africa, and South America. In different parts of the world, these species maintain sylvatic transmission cycles that can be independent from the primary urban cycle in which the dog is the main reservoir [9,10]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
