Evolution and divergence of the genetic lineage Desmodus rotundus/Artibeus lituratus of rabies virus in S ão Paulo State

In this study, we genetically analyzed 70 RABV isolates from S ão Paulo State that were received by the Virology Laboratory of the Pasteur Institute of São Paulo between 2006 and 2015. Of these isolates, 33 were associated with the hematophagous bat D. rotundus and 37 with the fruit batA. lituratus. A genomic approach using phylogenetic analysis and nucleotide sequence comparisons demonstrated that these isolates belonged to the same genetic lineage of RABV. We also found that, in S ão Paulo State, theD. rotundus/A. lituratus lineage could be subdivided into at least four phylogenetic sublineages: two associated withD. rotundus and two withA. lituratus. These results are of importance for the epidemiological surveillance of rabies in S ão Paulo.
Source: Archives of Virology - Category: Virology Source Type: research