Molecular epidemiology of rabies virus isolates from Israel and other middle- and near-eastern countries

A total of 226 isolates of rabies virus from different areas of Israel, inc luding three human isolates and one sample from South Lebanon were identifi ed between 1993 and 1998 by direct immunofluorescence using monoclonal anti bodies to the viral nucleoprotein (N), An epidemiological sun;ey based on n ucleotide sequence analysis of 328 bp from the C terminus of the N coding r egion and the noncoding region between the nucleoprotein and the phosphopro tein (NS gene) was performed. Phylogenetic analysis of the isolates from Is rael showed that they were related geographically, but not according to hos t species. Five variants, related groups distributed among four geographica l regions, were identified. In each region, rabies virus was isolated from more than one animal species. A comparison of the sequence analysis of rabi es virus samples from the rest of world revealed a 2-nucleotide change that distinguished the Middle East variants from the rest.