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Rabies is a fatal viral disease of serious public health implication. The disease is enzootic in India. In the present study, thirty six rabies virus isolates were obtained from terrestrial mammals of India during 2002–2012. Ecto-domain coding region of the glycoprotein gene from all the isolates were sequenced and the phylogenetic analysis was performed in relation to the global rabies and rabies related virus isolates. The Indian isolates grouped into two distinctly separate lineages with majority of the Indian isolates in Arctic like 1 lineage and the remaining isolates in sub-continental lineage. Isolates of the two distinct lineages were identified simultaneously from the same geographical region. Time scaled phylogenetic tree indicated that the sub-continental lineage of the virus is one of the earliest clade of rabies virus that diverged from bat rabies virus. On the contrary, the Arctic-like 1 lineage of India appeared to be a more recent divergence event. The amino acid sequence comparison revealed that all the major antigenic sites were almost conserved among the Indian isolates whereas few amino acid variations could be identified around site IIa, minor site I and IV. The d N / d S study based on G ecto-domain is in support of the earlier reports of strong purifying selection. In conclusion, it is evident that the Indian rabies virus isolates are of two major distinct lineages with distant phylogenetic and evolutionary relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The phylogenetic analysis of VP1 sequences of the 39 type O foot and mouth virus (FMDV) isolates collected from different regions of India during the year of 2001–12 revealed that all isolates belonged to the Middle East – South Asia (ME-SA) topotype. Based on the amount of divergence among the isolates, the viruses were further classified into three distinct lineages namely Ind 2001, PanAsia and PanAsia-2 as well as a minor, unnamed group. Ind 2001 lineage viruses accounted for most of the current type O outbreaks. At the nucleotide level these isolates showed a divergence of 2% to 14% with an average sequence variation of ∼9.9%. The serological spectrum of the current vaccine strain was studied by using bovine vaccinate serum (BVS) raised against O/IND/R2/75. All the current field isolates (n =24) were homologous (‘r’ value 0.4 to 1.0) to the vaccine strain. Examination of the amino acid sequences for selection pressure revealed the positive selection at amino acid sites 13 and 45. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: India like several other South East Asian and African countries continues to face the public health and economic problems associated with the disease. Our objective was to perform a limited sequence analysis of a portion of nucleoprotein gene of 22 rabies virus isolates obtained from domestic animals in Southern India during 2004–2005. These isolates were compared with rabies virus isolates originating from Asia, Europe, Africa and North America. The phylogenetic analysis showed that RV isolates in Southern India belong to genotype 1. They were similar to one another forming a single major genetic cluster not ordered by geography or species of origin. However, they were dissimilar to RV isolates in Northern India and in other parts of the world. The data indicated that dog rabies virus variants are the major circulating viruses and control of dog rabies would result in overall reduction in the burden and incidence of rabies in India. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]