Animal Rabies Surveillance, China, 2004–2018

Rabies is a severe zoonotic disease in China, but the circulation and distribution of rabies virus (RABV) within animal reservoirs is not well understood. We report the results of 15 years of surveillance of the first Chinese Rabies Surveillance Plan in animal populations, in which animal brain tiss...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ye Feng, Yuyang Wang, Weidi Xu, Zhongzhong Tu, Tingfang Liu, Minghe Huo, Yan Liu, Wenjie Gong, Zheng Zeng, Wen Wang, Yinhong Wei, Changchun Tu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2020-12-01
Series:Emerging Infectious Diseases
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Online Access:https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/12/20-0303_article
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Summary:Rabies is a severe zoonotic disease in China, but the circulation and distribution of rabies virus (RABV) within animal reservoirs is not well understood. We report the results of 15 years of surveillance of the first Chinese Rabies Surveillance Plan in animal populations, in which animal brain tissues collected during 2004–2018 were tested for RABV and phylogenetic and spatial–temporal evolutionary analyses performed using obtained RABV sequences. The results have provided the most comprehensive dataset to date on the infected animal species, geographic distribution, transmission sources, and genetic diversity of RABVs in China. In particular, the transboundary transmission of emerging RABV subclades between China and neighboring countries was confirmed. The study highlights the importance of continuous animal rabies surveillance in monitoring the transmission dynamics, and provides updated information for improving current control and prevention strategies at the source.
ISSN:1080-6040
1080-6059