Molecular characterization of three ferret badger (Melogale moschata) rabies virus isolates from Jiangxi province, China

Ferret badger (FB) rabies viruses JX09-17(fb), JX09-18 and JX10-37 were isolated from three different regions in Jiangxi province, China, in 2009 and 2010. The complete nucleotide sequence identity between these three isolates was 87-93 %. Compared with the other Chinese rabies virus isolates and vaccine strains, 101 substitutions (53 in JX10-37, 23 in JX09-17(fb) and 25 in JX09-18) in the five structural proteins were observed, and 47 of these substitutions (27 in JX10-37, 14 in JX09-17(fb) and 6 in JX09-18) were unique among lyssaviruses. Amino acid substitutions of S231 and Q333 were noted respectively in the G protein antigenic site I of JX10-37 and site III in JX09-17(fb). Phylogenetic analysis showed that JX09-17(fb) is rooted within the China I lineage, JX09-18 is in China II, and JX10-37 is independent. Evolutionary analysis and comparative sequence data indicate that isolate JX10-37 is a variant virus that diverged from canine rabies viruses around 1933 (range 1886-1963).