Molecular epidemiology and sequencing of the G-L intergenic region of rabies viruses isolated in China

A group of 25 rabies viruses (RABVs), recovered from 24 dogs and one human case, were collected from various areas in China between 2004 and 2006. Genetic and phylogenetic analyses of the G-L intergenic region were carried out in 25 street RABV isolates and CTN vaccine strains of 7 generations. The study was based on the comparison of a 519 bp nucleotide sequence, encompassing the G-L intergenic region. The nucleotide sequence homologies of Chinese street strains were from 95.5% to 100%. The phylogenetic analysis showed that all Chinese isolates clearly supported the placement of all Chinese viruses in Lyssavirus genotype 1 and they were distributed according to their geographical origins. All of the Chinese strains were closely related but they could still be divided into two groups: group of street strains and group of CTN strains. This study presents details about the molecular epidemiology of rabies viruses based on the sequences of the G-L Intergenic region.