Bf. Vonteichman et al., MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY OF RABIES VIRUS IN SOUTH-AFRICA - EVIDENCE FOR2 DISTINCT VIRUS GROUPS, Journal of General Virology, 76, 1995, pp. 73-82
In order to derive phylogenetic relationships between rabies virus iso
lates from different geographical locations and host species in South
Africa, two genome regions of the virus, viz. the cytoplasmic domain o
f the glycoprotein and the G-L intergenic region (pseudogene), were se
quenced. A high level of nucleic acid sequence conservation indicated
a close phylogenetic relationship between virus isolates from domestic
dogs, jackals and bat-eared foxes, i.e. Canidae. These isolates appea
red to be distinct from but closely related to European strains of rab
ies virus. However, a phylogenetically distinguishable and distant gro
up, which contained isolates from mongooses (i.e. Viverridae) was iden
tifiable. The latter group appears to be distantly related to European
and vaccine strains of rabies virus and may have evolved uniquely on
the central plateau of South Africa. Our data also indicate that spill
over from mongooses (or other viverrids) to canid hosts occurs occasio
nally.