Molecular diversity of rabies viruses associated with bats in Mexico and other countries of the Americas.

ABSTRACT: Bat rabies and its transmission to humans and other species in Mexico were investigated. Eighty-nine samples obtained from rabid livestock, cats, dogs, and humans in Mexico were studied by antigenic typing and partial sequence analysis. Samples were further compared with enzootic rabies associated with different species of bats in the Americas. Patterns of nucleotide variation allowed the definition of at least 20 monophyletic clusters associated with 9 or more different bat species. Several lineages associated with distinctive antigenic patterns were found in rabies viruses related to rabies in vampire bats in Mexico. Vampire bat rabies virus lineages associated with antigenic variant 3 are widely spread from Mexico to South America, suggesting these lineages as the most likely ancestors

SUBMITTER: Velasco-Villa A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1479161 | biostudies-literature | 2006 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature