Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Rabies Virus Lineages in South Africa
Rabies virus (RABV; species <i>Lyssavirus rabies</i>) causes rabies, a disease of the central nervous system that invariably results in the death of the host. In South Africa, studies have indicated that RABV is maintained by animal species that include four wildlife carnivore species—th...
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2025-02-01
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| author | Natalie Viljoen Claude Sabeta Wanda Markotter Jacqueline Weyer |
| author_facet | Natalie Viljoen Claude Sabeta Wanda Markotter Jacqueline Weyer |
| author_sort | Natalie Viljoen |
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| description | Rabies virus (RABV; species <i>Lyssavirus rabies</i>) causes rabies, a disease of the central nervous system that invariably results in the death of the host. In South Africa, studies have indicated that RABV is maintained by animal species that include four wildlife carnivore species—the black-backed jackal (<i>Canis mesomelas</i>), bat-eared fox (<i>Otocyon megalotis</i>), yellow mongoose (<i>Cynictis penicillata</i>), and aardwolf (<i>Proteles cristatus</i>)—and domestic dogs (<i>Canis lupus familiaris</i>). The complex natural ecology holds significant implications for the control and elimination of rabies. In this study, confirmed animal rabies case data, including geospatial features, were analyzed for 12,879 laboratory-confirmed animal cases reported on a database managed by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD). Sequence data generated from animal rabies cases in South Africa were also analyzed, which included 1374 cytoplasmic domain of the glycoprotein and the G-L intergenic sequences using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference. The analysis provides insights into the transmission dynamics involving several wildlife species and domestic dogs in South Africa. This information is crucial for the strategic planning for rabies control and elimination programs, and particularly in understanding the interlinked nature of some lineages and the importance of the cross-border spread of rabies. This analysis provided an improved understanding of the distribution of the RABV lineages in South Africa and identified areas that can be targeted for rabies control strategies to limit future spread of RABV, which is important due to the limited available resources that must be carefully managed to allow optimal control. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-87ce754b7cb34ed2adca8cba324d3fec |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj-art-87ce754b7cb34ed2adca8cba324d3fec2025-08-20T01:50:10ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152025-02-0117334010.3390/v17030340Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Rabies Virus Lineages in South AfricaNatalie Viljoen0Claude Sabeta1Wanda Markotter2Jacqueline Weyer3Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South AfricaDepartment of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South AfricaCentre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South AfricaCentre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria 0001, South AfricaRabies virus (RABV; species <i>Lyssavirus rabies</i>) causes rabies, a disease of the central nervous system that invariably results in the death of the host. In South Africa, studies have indicated that RABV is maintained by animal species that include four wildlife carnivore species—the black-backed jackal (<i>Canis mesomelas</i>), bat-eared fox (<i>Otocyon megalotis</i>), yellow mongoose (<i>Cynictis penicillata</i>), and aardwolf (<i>Proteles cristatus</i>)—and domestic dogs (<i>Canis lupus familiaris</i>). The complex natural ecology holds significant implications for the control and elimination of rabies. In this study, confirmed animal rabies case data, including geospatial features, were analyzed for 12,879 laboratory-confirmed animal cases reported on a database managed by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD). Sequence data generated from animal rabies cases in South Africa were also analyzed, which included 1374 cytoplasmic domain of the glycoprotein and the G-L intergenic sequences using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference. The analysis provides insights into the transmission dynamics involving several wildlife species and domestic dogs in South Africa. This information is crucial for the strategic planning for rabies control and elimination programs, and particularly in understanding the interlinked nature of some lineages and the importance of the cross-border spread of rabies. This analysis provided an improved understanding of the distribution of the RABV lineages in South Africa and identified areas that can be targeted for rabies control strategies to limit future spread of RABV, which is important due to the limited available resources that must be carefully managed to allow optimal control.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/3/340rabiesrabies virussurveillancedistributionwildlifedomestic dogs |
| spellingShingle | Natalie Viljoen Claude Sabeta Wanda Markotter Jacqueline Weyer Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Rabies Virus Lineages in South Africa Viruses rabies rabies virus surveillance distribution wildlife domestic dogs |
| title | Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Rabies Virus Lineages in South Africa |
| title_full | Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Rabies Virus Lineages in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Rabies Virus Lineages in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Rabies Virus Lineages in South Africa |
| title_short | Temporal and Spatial Analysis of Rabies Virus Lineages in South Africa |
| title_sort | temporal and spatial analysis of rabies virus lineages in south africa |
| topic | rabies rabies virus surveillance distribution wildlife domestic dogs |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/17/3/340 |
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