Identification of mutations in different rabies virus variants after successive inoculations in mice

Abstract

Rabies is a viral zoonotic disease that reaches the central nervous system (CNS) of mammalians, often fatal. The rabies vírus (RABV) is a neurotropic, single strain RNA genome virus of the family Rhabdoviridae, genus Lyssavirus. Since the 1980's with use of monoclonal antibodies (Mab) and recently with molecular biology for the RABV studies, antigenic and genetic differences were identified. These studies shown that strains of viruses isolated from different reservoirs, had antigenic variants and/or genetic lineages with specific characteristics, suggesting the adaptation of the viruses to a specific specie. These adaptations are very specific, because in the majority of the species the vírus causes fatal infections and the virus does not have an adaptation opportunity to the host. However, the alterations that define the adaptation of the RABV in each host or reservoir need more knowledge. This project has the aim of to examine aspects of the antigenic and genetic stability of the main RABV variants to elucidate the mechanisms which leads to adaptation of the virus in different hosts. For this end successive inoculations of RABV strains isolated from different reservoirs will be held in an experimental host (mice). The stability of the RABVs isolated from different reservoirs will be defined by the antigenic and genetic characterization of the each RABV after each successive inoculation. The results obtained in this project could be help in the knowledge of RABV, thus being able to clarify the features not yet known about the rabies and RABV and assist in more effective control of rabies in Brazil. (AU)