Molecular characterization of the complete genome of a street rabies virus WH11 isolated from donkey in China

Donkey Internal Medicine—Part II: Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Neurologic, Urinary, Ophthalmic, Dermatology, and Musculoskeletal Disorders

Cardiovascular diseases are scarcely reported in donkeys, probably linked to their limited athletic attitude and low frequency of poor performance-related examinations. Reports on treatments for cardiovascular pathologies are anecdotal in donkeys. Respiratory tract anatomy shows important differences between horses and donkeys. Donkeys and mules can act as reservoirs spreading many viral, bacterial, and parasitic infectious respiratory diseases. Mosquito and tick-borne encephalitis have been reported in these species in the later years, and even donkeys are being used as sentinels in some areas to detect these emerging diseases. Management and treatment of lithiases can be transferable from horses; however, the same assumption must still be demonstrated for acute and chronic renal diseases. Ocular pathologies are similar to horses, with corneal ulcers frequently observed. Lameness is a common problem in donkeys, with laminitis as the most reported cause followed by pedal abscess.

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Donkeys are different to horses.

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Numerous physiological and clinicopathologic idiosyncrasies are reported in horses.

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Data published for horses should not be extrapolated for donkeys.

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Specific reference ranges, doses, and protocols have to be used for donkeys.

Complete genome sequences of three rabies viruses isolated from rabid raccoon dogs and a cow in Korea

The complete genomes of three rabies viruses (BD0406CC, BV9901PJ, and 08F40) of two raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides koreensis) and a cow were determined. The genomic organization is typical of rabies viruses, and the open reading frames of the N, P, M, G, and L genes are 1,353, 894, 609, 1,575, and 6,384 bases in length, respectively. The full genome length of the three strains was 11,928 nucleotides, and the sequence similarity between the rabies viruses at the nucleotide level was 98.5-99.5%. Sequence comparisons indicated that these rabies viruses belong to the "Arctic and Arctic-like" group, with high homology to the Eurasian cluster. All Korean strains were clustered with the Mongolia strains, which belong to Arctic-like 1 clade. The 08F40 and BD0406CC strains were constructed with rabies virus strains isolated in Gangwon province. The BV9901PJ strain was closely related to strains isolated in Gyeonggi province in Korea. Three strains were more dependent upon geographical distribution and time period than host species. Complete genome sequencing of different host-origin rabies viruses will provide information that should contribute to understanding the transmission cycle and genetic variability of rabies from different hosts.

Characterization of a wild rabies virus isolate of porcine origin in China

Rabies virus (RABV) that circulates worldwide in a variety of mammals can cause fatal encephalomyelitis. GD-SH-01, a street rabies virus, was isolated from a rabid pig in China. We investigated the pathogenicity of GD-SH-01 in suckling and adult mice, and compared the susceptibility of NA and BHK-21 cells in the culture to infection by GD-SH-01 and CVS-24. The complete GD-SH-01 genome sequence was determined and compared with known RABV wild strains to understand the mutations and genetic diversity that allow RABV to spread and adapt in new hosts, such as pigs. Our results suggest that GD-SH-01 possesses the characteristics of a virulent strain in Southern China and shows higher pathogenicity index than that of CVS-24 regardless of its lower level of replication in mouse brain. Up to 47 unique nucleotide substitutions were found in the genome, including five missense mutations. These data provide useful information for further understanding the transmission mechanism and the genetic variation of RABV in dissimilar hosts.

Complete genome sequence of a rabies virus isolate from cattle in guangxi, southern china

A street rabies virus (RV) isolate, GXHXN, was obtained from brain tissue of rabid cattle in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China in 2009. GXHXN is the first isolate from cattle in China with its entire genome sequenced and is closely related to BJ2011E from horse in Beijing, WH11 from donkey in the Hubei Province, and isolates from dogs in the Guangxi and Fujian Provinces, with homologies of 97.6% to 99.6%. It is more distantly related to isolates from domestic cat, pig, Chinese ferret badger, and vaccine strains, with homologies of 83.1% to 88.0%.

Complete genome sequence of a highly virulent rabies virus isolated from a rabid pig in south China

A virulent rabies virus (RABV) strain, GD-SH-01, was isolated from brain tissue of a rabid pig in China. This report describes the first complete genome sequence of a swine-origin RABV strain, and this information will provide important insights into the transmission cycle and genetic diversity of RABV from different hosts in China.