Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-mp689 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T00:53:49.785Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Molecular epidemiology of rabies in northern Colombia 1994–2003. Evidence for human and fox rabies associated with dogs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 February 2005

A. PÁEZ
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Virología, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Bogotá, Colombia Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad de La Salle, Bogotá, Colombia
C. SAAD
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Virología, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Bogotá, Colombia
C. NÚÑEZ
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Virología, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
J. BÓSHELL
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Virología, Instituto Nacional de Salud (INS), Bogotá, Colombia
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

During the period 2000–2003, wild grey foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) in northern Colombia became infected with rabies. In order to derive phylogenetic relationships between rabies viruses isolated in foxes, dogs and humans in this region, 902 nt cDNA fragments containing the G–L intergenic region and encoding the cytoplasmic domain of protein G and a fragment of protein L were obtained by RT–PCR, sequenced and compared. Phylogenetic analysis showed that rabies viruses isolated in foxes, dogs and humans belonged to a single genetic variant. Speculative analysis together with epidemiological data indicated that rabies in foxes may have been due to contact with rabid dogs. Rabies transmission between dogs, wild foxes and humans may happen in natural conditions in northern Colombia. This finding is the first to suggest dog-to-fox rabies transmission in South America, and provides another example of dog rabies variants being able to successfully colonize wildlife hosts.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2005 Cambridge University Press