The Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of Rabies in China

Abstract

Background and ObjectivesRecent years have seen a rapid increase in the number of rabies cases in China and an expansion in the geographic distribution of the virus. In spite of the seriousness of the outbreak and increasing number of fatalities, little is known about the phylogeography of the disease in China. In this study, we report an analysis of a set of Nucleocapsid sequences consisting of samples collected through the trial Chinese National Surveillance System as well as publicly available sequences. This sequence set represents the most comprehensive dataset from China to date, comprising 210 sequences (including 57 new samples) from 15 provinces and covering all epidemic regions. Using this dataset we investigated genetic diversity, patterns of distribution, and evolutionary history.ResultsOur analysis indicates that the rabies virus in China is primarily defined by two clades that exhibit distinct population subdivision and translocation patterns and that contributed to the epidemic in different ways. The younger clade originated around 1992 and has properties that closely match the observed spread of the recent epidemic. The older clade originated around 1960 and has a dispersion pattern that suggests it represents a strain associated with a previous outbreak that remained at low levels throughout the country and reemerged in the current epidemic.ConclusionsOur findings provide new insight into factors associated with the recent epidemic and are relevant to determining an effective policy for controlling the virus.

A randomized open-labeled study to demonstrate the non-inferiority of purified chick-embryo cell rabies vaccine administered in the Zagreb regimen (2-1-1) compared with the Essen regimen in Chinese adults

“…1 In China, 85%-95% of human rabies cases are dog-mediated rabies, and rabies is among the 3 leading causes of death due to infection. 2 Since 2000, a new epidemic outbreak has led to a rapid increase in the number of notified cases, 3 with over 3,300 clinically diagnosed deaths due to rabies recorded in 2007, 4 and an associated mortality rate that increased by an average of 26% per year from 1999 to 2008. [3][4][5] Since then, the incidence has started to decline, with 2,048 reported cases in 2010, a decrease of about 7.5% compared with 2009.…”

Molecular Epidemiology of Reemergent Rabies in Yunnan Province, Southwestern China

“…Complete nucleoprotein gene sequences were obtained by using primers specific for this gene as described ( 12 , 13 ). PCR products were purified by using a QIAquick PCR Purification Kit (QIAGEN, Hilden, Germany) and sequenced.…”

Complete Genome Sequence of a Street Rabies Virus Isolated from a Rabid Dog in China

“…The lengths of the coding sequences are as follows: 1,353 nucleotides (nt) for the N, 891 nt for the phosphoprotein, 609 nt for the matrix protein, 1,575 nt for the G, and 6,384 nt for the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Sequence comparison indicates that this virus is closely related to the viruses that have been identified recently in China and other Asian countries, with high homology (86 to 98%) (12,13). The homologies between this virus and those in the "cosmopolitan" group are only 84 to 85%.…”

“…hina has experienced three major rabies epidemics during the past 60 years, with the current one ongoing (12,14). Rabies remains a public health threat around the world, with an almost invariably fatal encephalomyelitis (3).…”