The Importance of Accurate Host Species Identification in the Framework of Rabies Surveillance, Control and Elimination.

Paola De Benedictis,Andres Velasco-Villa,Wanda Markotter,Stefania Leopardi

doi:10.3390/v14030492

Paola De Benedictis, Andres Velasco-Villa + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/v14030492

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Abstract

Accurate host identification is paramount to understand disease epidemiology and to apply appropriate control measures. This is especially important for multi-host pathogens such as the rabies virus, a major and almost invariably fatal zoonosis that has mobilized unanimous engagement at an international level towards the final goal of zero human deaths due to canine rabies. Currently, diagnostic laboratories implement a standardized identification using taxonomic keys. However, this method is challenged by high and undiscovered biodiversity, decomposition of carcasses and subjective misevaluation, as has been attested to by findings from a cohort of 242 archived specimens collected across Sub-Saharan Africa and submitted for rabies diagnosis. We applied two simple and cheap methods targeting the Cytochrome b and Cytochrome c oxidase subunit I to confirm the initial classification. We therefore suggest prioritizing a standardized protocol that includes, as a first step, the implementation of taxonomic keys at a family or subfamily level, followed by the molecular characterization of the host species.

Highlights

Appropriate identification of the animal host(s) that play a central role in maintaining circulation of human or animal pathogens is essential for the control, prevention and elimination efforts, as well as to unveil critical details on the ecology of zoonotic infectious diseases and conservation strategies
The control of canine rabies represents the main objective of national stakeholders and international organizations that have been all collaborating towards a final goal of zero human deaths due to dog-mantained rabies by 2030 [11]
Selected specimens were part of a wider repository of samples at IZSVe, which were voluntarily shipped to the IZSVe from veterinary laboratories across Africa requesting services we provide to rule out rabies diagnosis and genetic typing of rabies virus and other lyssaviruses in our capacity of the International Reference Collaborative Centre for rabies diagnostics and research

Summary

Patching the Way for Appropriate Epidemiology of Multi-Host Pathogens

Appropriate identification of the animal host(s) that play a central role in maintaining circulation of human or animal pathogens is essential for the control, prevention and elimination efforts, as well as to unveil critical details on the ecology of zoonotic infectious diseases and conservation strategies. A novel rabies variant circulating in wildlife in Mato Groso, Brazil, was retrospectively described in a wild kinkajou (Potos flavus) that was initially misarchived as a bat and further recalled by the diagnostic laboratory as a monkey [18]. Specimens of such a case were the individual were identified through partial sequencing of both the Cytochrome b (Cytb) and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) partial sequencing [25,26], no rabid kinkajous had been recorded in Brazil far, meaning that this individual was likely mis-identified from submission. We describe the application of two feasible molecular alternatives to identify host species, from brain tissue in carcasses submitted to a rabies’ diagnostic laboratory as well as expose some of their limitations in countries where the extant of the mammal biodiversity has been poorly described

Molecular Methods for Hots Species Identification

The Drawback of Biodiversity

Findings

Conclusions