Molecular epidemiology of reemergent rabies in Yunnan Province, southwestern China

Emerg Infect Dis. 2014 Sep;20(9):1433-42. doi: 10.3201/eid2009.130440.

Abstract

Yunnan Province in China borders 3 countries (Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar) in Southeast Asia. In the 1980s, a large-scale rabies epidemic occurred in this province, which subsided by the late 1990s. However, 3 human cases of rabies in 2000 indicated reemergence of the disease in 1 county. In 2012, rabies was detected in 77 counties; 663 persons died of rabies during this new epidemic. Fifty two rabies virus strains obtained during 2008-2012 were identified and analyzed phylogenetically by sequencing the nucleoprotein gene. Of the 4 clades identified, clades YN-A and YN-C were closely related to strains from neighboring provinces, and clade YN-B was closely related to strains from Southeast Asia, but formed a distinct branch. Rabies virus diversity might be attributed to dog movements among counties, provinces, and neighboring countries. These findings suggest that Yunnan Province is a focal point for spread of rabies between Southeast Asia and China.

Keywords: China; dogs; endemic disease; homology; molecular epidemiology; nucleoprotein; phylogenetic analysis; public health; rabies; rabies virus; viruses.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, Viral / immunology
  • Asia, Southeastern / epidemiology
  • China / epidemiology
  • Communicable Diseases, Emerging / epidemiology*
  • Dog Diseases / virology
  • Dogs
  • Female
  • Genes, Viral
  • Genetic Variation
  • Geography, Medical
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny
  • Rabies / epidemiology*
  • Rabies / virology
  • Rabies virus / classification
  • Rabies virus / genetics*
  • Rabies virus / immunology
  • Seasons
  • Sentinel Surveillance
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Spatial Analysis

Substances

  • Antigens, Viral

Associated data

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