The number of human rabies cases acquired from dog bites constitutes a high proportion of the total rabies cases in China, although the number of human rabies cases has gradually decreased in recent years. The pivotal role of dogs in the spread of rabies indicates that controlling and preventing canine rabies could be a key step in eradicating human rabies in China. The primary aims of this review are to discuss the properties and pathogenesis of the rabies virus, the clinical signs and diagnosis of canine rabies, threshold host density and vaccination of dogs, and the prevention and control of canine rabies in China.
Animals ; Dog Diseases ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; virology ; Dogs ; Rabies ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; veterinary ; virology ; Rabies Vaccines ; immunology ; Rabies virus ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the situation of dog rabies and analyze it's relationship with human rabies.

METHODSIn Guizhou, Guangxi and Hunan provinces which suffered from rabies most heavily, one or two cities were selected respectively from regions with high-, middle-, low-incidence rate of human rabies as investigation spots where Dogs' brain specimens were collected and detected with both direct immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and RT-PCR.

RESULTSA total of 2887 specimens were collected and 66 of these were positive for IFA and RT-PCR. Therefore, the rate of positive specimens was 2.3%. However, there was not a close relationship in the incidence rate of dog rabies and human rabies.

CONCLUSIONDog's infection situation of rabies contributed to the severe epidemic of human rabies.

Animals ; Brain ; pathology ; virology ; China ; epidemiology ; Dog Diseases ; epidemiology ; virology ; Dogs ; Humans ; Incidence ; Rabies ; epidemiology ; veterinary ; virology ; Rabies virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification

Chinese ferret badger (FB)-transmitted rabies is a serious threat to public health in southeast China. Although mostly associated with dogs, the rabies virus (RABV) presents genetic diversity and has a significantly wide host range in China. Instead of the dog- and wildlife-associated China II lineage in the past decades, the China I lineage has become the main epidemic group hosted and transmitted by dogs. In this study, four new lineages, including 43 RABVs from FBs, have been classified within the dog-dominated China I lineage since 2014. FB RABVs have been previously categorized in the China II lineage. Moreover, FB-hosted viruses seem to have become the main independent FB-associated clade in the phylogenetic tree. This claim suggests that the increasing genetic diversity of RABVs in FBs is a result of the selective pressure from coexisting dog rabies. FB transmission has become complicated and serious with the coexistence of dog rabies. Therefore, apart from targeting FB rabies, priority should be provided by the appropriate state agencies to perform mass immunization of dog against rabies.
Animals ; Brain ; virology ; China ; epidemiology ; Disease Reservoirs ; veterinary ; virology ; Dog Diseases ; epidemiology ; transmission ; virology ; Dogs ; Ferrets ; virology ; Genetic Linkage ; Genetic Variation ; Phylogeny ; Phylogeography ; Rabies ; epidemiology ; transmission ; veterinary ; virology ; Rabies virus ; genetics

Rabies remains a continuous threat to public health in Beijing. In this study, a total of 224 brain tissues were collected from suspected infected stray dogs within Beijing between January 2015 and December 2016. Among them, total of 67 samples were diagnosed positive for rabies. In the phylogenetic analysis, rabies in Beijing is currently a relatively independent public health issue originating from local rabid dogs apart from the imported cases from elsewhere in the country. Because vaccination of unregistered dogs against rabies is still neglected in Beijing and other regions of China, national and local authorities should play central roles in all related aspects, such as development of policies, engagement of stakeholders for public and professional education, entire vaccination process, and animal management.
Animals ; Beijing ; epidemiology ; Bites and Stings ; epidemiology ; Dog Diseases ; virology ; Dogs ; Humans ; Phylogeny ; Public Health ; Rabies ; prevention & control ; transmission ; veterinary ; virology ; Rabies Vaccines ; immunology ; Rabies virus ; genetics ; Zoonoses

OBJECTIVEEvaluation of the direct rapid immumohistochemical test (DRIT) for laboratory surveillance of rabies.

METHODS72 brain specimens of domestic dogs or patients collected from Guizhou, Guangxi, Hunan, Anhui, Jiangsu and Yunnan provinces were detected by conventional methods including Direct Fluorescent-antibody Assay (DFA) and Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), and by DRIT which was newly developed in the Rabies Section of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States. The sensitivity and specificity of DRIT were evaluated by compare of the three results. By analysis of the index including cost of experiment, technique requirement and so on, the advancement and applicability of DRIT were discussed.

RESULTSCompared with DFA and RT-PCR, DRIT will be more applicable for laboratories with limited funds and weak techniques because of its lower cost needed and simpler techniques required while its sensitivity and specificity are equal to the other two methods.

CONCLUSIONDRIT is more valuable in rabies diagnosis and more applicable for extension and popularization in rabies laboratory surveillance in local CDC.

Animals ; Brain ; virology ; China ; epidemiology ; Dog Diseases ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; virology ; Dogs ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Direct ; methods ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Prevalence ; Rabies ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; veterinary ; virology ; Rabies virus ; genetics ; immunology ; isolation & purification

OBJECTIVECharacterization of rabies virus phosphoprotein through analyzation of genetic variations about rabies virus phosphoproteins in high-incidence regions in China.

METHODSThe nucleotide sequence of the P gene of Guangxi, Guizhou and Hunan provinces positive sample's were sequenced, and the P region's similarity and phylogenetic analyses were completed by using softer wares.

RESULTSThe similarity of P region's nucleotide sequence is 82.1%-100%, while, the similarity of amino acid sequence is 87.5%-100%. A little variation in phosphoprotein cannot influence its biological functions.

CONCLUSIONAll rabies viruses isolated from Guangxi, Guizhou and Hunan provinces belong to genotype 1 and share same phylogenesis and same genome characteristic; Virus distribution presents unique Characterization; Some virus isolates from Hunan province and Thailand may come from the same virus.

Animals ; China ; epidemiology ; Dog Diseases ; epidemiology ; virology ; Dogs ; Humans ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phosphoproteins ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; Prevalence ; Rabies ; epidemiology ; veterinary ; virology ; Rabies virus ; classification ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Viral Structural Proteins ; genetics

To analyze 25 nucleoprotein gene (N gene) sequences of rabies viruses circulating in Guizhou province during 2005-2010, China, and to explore the epidemic characteristics and the probable mutant of rabies in Guizhou Province. Rabies virus RNA in human brain tissues, human saliva, and domestic dog brain tissues derived from different prefectures of Guizhou Province were detected with RT-nested PCR, and the amplified products were then sequenced. Bioinformatics software was used to determine the genetic characteristics of these rabies viruses. The sequences of N gene of 25 Guizhou provincial isolates were identical with homogeny between 97.5% - 99.3% and 98.4% - 99.8% at nucleotide and deduced amino acid level, respectively, while the identities between them and isolated strains from other province of China were 88% - 99.1% and 88% - 99.7%. There were several amino acid substitutions in the nucleoprotein of 25 Guizhou isolates compared with the known genotype 1 isolates. The analysis of phylogenetic tree of 25 Guizhou isolates was demonstrated to be genetically divided into two groups, indicating that the virus presented a unique characteristics in geographic distribution and in a time dependent-manner. And phylogenetic tree of 25 Guizhou isolates and 7 genotype 1 strains isolated from other Province of China was also divided into two groups, which were further composed of several subgroups, respectively. From these observations, the rabies viruses derived from Guizhou province were still genotype 1. These isolates of rabies virus were diverged from the strains isolated from other provinces in both gene sequences and deduced amino acid sequences, and these divergences were characterized in geographic distribution and in a time-dependent manner.
Animals ; China ; epidemiology ; Dog Diseases ; epidemiology ; virology ; Dogs ; Genotype ; Humans ; Nucleoproteins ; genetics ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Viral ; genetics ; Rabies ; epidemiology ; veterinary ; virology ; Rabies virus ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; methods

In August 2008, forty dogs out of 400 developed oral warts in a breeding farm in Korea. Canine oral papilloma infection is a common disease in dogs. However, there has been no report of an outbreak of canine oral papillomavirus (COPV) in a group of dogs or in dog breeding farms in Korea, and the genetic analysis of COPV in Korea has yet to be performed. This study diagnosed canine oral papilloma from the oral samples of these dogs based on histopathological examination and immunohistochemistry. Polymerase chain reaction was applied to amplify the corresponding products using pre-existing primer sets for COPV and a universal human papillomavirus targeting L1 gene. Further genetic analysis of the major viral capsid gene L1 confirms the sequences of Korean COPV, which shows a close relationship to previously reported COPV. This study describes the histopathological and immunohistochemical characteristics of canine oral papilloma in a group of breeding dogs in Korea and discloses the complete L1 gene sequences of Korean COPV.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Capsid Proteins/chemistry/genetics ; DNA, Viral/chemistry/genetics ; Disease Outbreaks/*veterinary ; Dog Diseases/epidemiology/*virology ; Dogs ; Immunohistochemistry/veterinary ; Korea/epidemiology ; Lambdapapillomavirus/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mouth Diseases/epidemiology/*veterinary/virology ; Papillomavirus Infections/epidemiology/*veterinary/virology ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Sequence Analysis, DNA

The nucleoprotein (N) and glycoprotein (G) of 11 Korean rabies virus (RABV) isolates collected from animals diagnosed with rabies between 2008 and 2009 were subjected to molecular and phylogenetic analyses. Six isolates originated from domestic animals (cattle and dogs) and five were obtained from wild free-ranging raccoon dogs. The similarities in the nucleotide sequences of the N gene among all Korean isolates ranged from 98.1 to 99.8%, while those of the G gene ranged from 97.9 to 99.3%. Based on the nucleotide analysis of the N and G genes, the Korean RABV isolates were confirmed as genotype I of Lyssavirus and classified into four distinct subgroups with high similarity. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Korean isolates were most closely related to the non-Korean NeiMeng1025B and 857r strains, which were isolated from rabid raccoon dogs in Eastern China and Russia, respectively. These findings suggest that the Korean RABV isolates originated from a rabid raccoon dog in Northeastern Asia. Genetic analysis of the Korean RABV isolates revealed no substitutions at several antigenic sites, indicating that the isolates circulating in Korea may be pathogenic in several hosts.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cattle ; Cattle Diseases/epidemiology/virology ; China ; Dog Diseases/epidemiology/virology ; Dogs ; Glycoproteins/genetics ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Nucleoproteins/genetics ; Phylogeny ; Rabies/*veterinary ; Rabies virus/classification/*genetics/pathogenicity ; Raccoon Dogs/*virology ; Republic of Korea ; Russia ; Sequence Analysis, DNA ; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid

The purpose of this study was to investigate the genetic features of canine coronavirus (CCV) strains detected in Korea. M gene sequences obtained for isolates from 22 dogs with enteritis over a 5-year period were evaluated. Sequence comparison revealed that the 22 Korean CCV strains had an 87.2 to 100% nucleotide homology. Comparing to the typical reference CCV strains (type II), the nucleotide sequence of Korean strains had homology ranged from 86.3% to 98.3% (89.1% to 99.2% for the amino acid sequence) and 87.7% to 97.8% (92.4% to 100% for the amino acid sequence) when compared to FCoV-like CCV strains (type I). Three amino acid variations in the M gene were characteristic for the Korean CCV strains. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that the 22 Korean CCV strains belonged to four typical CCV clusters (i.e., a unique Korean CCV cluster, a type II and transmissible gastroenteritis virus cluster, an intermediate cluster between type I and II, and a type I cluster). This study was the first to identify genetic differences of the M gene from Korean CCV strains and provided a platform for molecular identification of different Korean CCV strains.
Amino Acid Sequence ; Animals ; Coronavirus Infections/epidemiology/*veterinary/virology ; Coronavirus, Canine/*isolation & purification ; Dog Diseases/*epidemiology/virology ; Dogs ; Female ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Phylogeny ; Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction/veterinary ; Viral Matrix Proteins/*genetics/metabolism