NUCLEOPROTEIN AND GLYCOPROTEIN GENE-BASED MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION OF RABIES VIRUS IN DIFFERENT SPECIES OF ANIMALS IN INDIA
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Date
2022
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KARNATAKA VETERINARY, ANIMAL AND FISHERIES SCIENCES UNIVERSITY, BIDAR.
Abstract
A study on 14 brain samples collected from the cases of rabies in animals
including wild carnivores from four Indian states during 2020-2022 was undertaken to
update the molecular epidemiology of circulating Indian rabies virus (RABV) and
evolutionary pattern. This was based on the phylogenetic analysis of the RABV with
respect to complete sequence of nucleoprotein (N) and glycoprotein genes (G). All the
samples were tested by lateral flow assay (LFA), direct fluorescent antibody assay
(DFA), and reverse transcription- polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and confirmed
positive for rabies. The complete nucleotide sequences of N and G genes of RABV from
all the samples were analysed by Neighbour-Joining method. Majority of the RABV
sequences that included those reported from Asian countries showed affiliation of these
sequences to three lineages viz., the Arctic-like 1a lineage, Asian clade and Indian
subcontinent lineage. The Asian Clade comprised of two subclades- South East Asian 3
(SEA3) and SEA5- that corresponded to the Taiwan and China isolates respectively.
Whereas, Indian RABV either reported earlier by others or those studied in the present
investigation were found to be identified either under Arctic like 1a or Indian
subcontinent lineages. Interestingly, Arctic-like 1a lineage described the close association
of North Indian isolates irrespective of cross-species transmission. Whereas, those from
the Southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala exhibited close association with the
isolates from Sri Lanka and Nepal under the Indian subcontinent lineage. No other Indian
isolates were found in this clade.