Molecular epidemiology of rabies: Focus on domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) and black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) from northern South Africa

The Feasibility of Canine Rabies Elimination in Africa: Dispelling Doubts with Data

“…Increasing incidence of rabies in Africa has prompted concerns that the epidemiology of the disease may be more complex, involving abundant wildlife carnivores that may sustain infection cycles [13,[35][36][37][38]. There is also uncertainty about the level of vaccination coverage needed to control rabies particularly in rapidly growing domestic dog populations [39,40].…”

Epidemiology of human rabies in South Africa, 1983–2007

“…The canid RABV variant occurs widespread in the RSA and is mainly associated with the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) in the KwaZulu Natal, Eastern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces (Coetzee andNel, 2007, Ngoepe et al, 2009), black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) in the North West (Zulu et al, 2009), Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces and bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis) in the Western and Northern Cape Provinces (Sabeta et al, 2007a). This canid RABV variant is closely related to European and cosmopolitan viruses (Von Teichman et al, 1995) and the introduction and spread of this canid RABV in sub-Saharan Africa correlates with colonial period activities of the late 19 th and early 20 th century (Nel and Rupprecht, 2007).…”

Rabies in Terrestrial Animals

“…The greatest genetic differences of rabies virus variants occur between those of terrestrial species and those found in bats. Examples of this include: 1) a rabies virus variant associated with coyotes in Mexico and Texas which appears to be capable of sustained transmission among susceptible (i.e., unvaccinated) domestic dogs (Clark et al, 1994), 2) red fox rabies virus variants that may be effectively maintained in Europe among raccoon dogs (Singer, Kauhala, Holmala, & Smith, 2009) and in Canada among skunks (Nadin- Davis, Casey, & Wandeler, 1994), and 3) canine rabies virus variants occurring in wild canids, such as jackals, mongooses, and other species, in the Middle East and Africa (Barnard, 1979;Bingham, Foggin, Wandeler, & Hill, 1999;Davis, Rambaut, Bourhy, & Holmes, 2007;Smith, Yager, & Orciari, 1993;Zulu, Sabeta, & Nel, 2009). These tools have led to a clearer understanding of the natural epizootiology of rabies virus variants in their host species, as well as the risk and intensity of spillover into different animals.…”