Circulation of Lyssaviruses (Lyssavirus) among the Small Mammals in the Territory of the Republic of Guinea

Objective is to study the role of small mammals, habitant in the Republic of Guinea, in Lyssavirus circulation. Materials and methods. Investigations were conducted using RT-PCR; nucleotide sequence of Lyssavirus cDNA fragments was identified with the help of sequencing with further phylogenetic analysis. Results and conclusions. Tested have been 356 brain samples from small mammals for the presence of Lyssavirus RNA using RT-PCR with genus-specific primers. The animals were caught in the suburbs of Kindia city in 2016. The samples were obtained from wild animals pertaining to Rodentia, Chiroptera, Eulipotyphla, and Carnivora orders.
Lyssavirus RNA was detected in 31 samples (8.7 %). For 14 PCR positive samples the appurtenance to Lyssavirus was confirmed through identification and analysis of nucleotide sequences of the collected short cDAN fragments of viral genome. The presence of rabies virus RNA in positive tests was excluded from PCR with the help of species specific primers. The pool of samples from black rats, Rattus rattus, positive for Lyssavirus RNA, contained RNA characteristic of Mokola lyssavirus species. Specified has been nucleotide sequence of matrix protein M gene fragment of Mokola virus. Genetic material of Mokola virus was detected in the Republic of Guinea for the first time ever.

1. Banyard A.C., Evans J.S., Luo T.R., Fooks A.R. Lyssaviruses and Bats: Emergence and Zoonotic Threat. Viruses. 2014; 6:2974–90. DOI: 10.3390/v6082974.

2. Boldbaatar B., Inoue S., Sugiura N., Noguchi A., Orbina J.R., Demetria C., Miranda M.E., Yamada A. Rapid detection of rabies virus by reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification. Jpn. J. Infect. Dis. 2009; 62(3):187–91.

3. Global distribution of risk to humans of contracting rabies, 2013. [Cited 01 Mar 2017]. Available from: http://www.who.int/rabies/Global_distribution_risk_humans_contracting_rabies_2013.png?ua=1.

4. Hayman D.T., Fooks A.R., Marston D.A., Garcia-R J.C. The Global Phylogeography of Lyssaviruses – Challenging the ‘Out of Africa’ Hypothesis. PLoS. Negl. Trop. Dis. 2016; 10(12):e0005266. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005266.

5. Hemachudha T., Ugolini G., Wacharapluesadee S., Sungkarat W., Shuangshoti S., Laothamatas J. Human rabies: neuropathogenesis, diagnosis and management. Lancet Neurol. 2013; 12:498–513. DOI: 10.1016/S1474-4422(13)70038-3.

6. Kgaladi J., Wright N., Coertse J., Markotter W., Marston D., Fooks A.R., Freuling C.M., Müller T.F., Sabeta C.T., Nel L.H. Diversity and Epidemiology of Mokola Virus. PLoS Negl. Trop. Dis. 2013; 7(10):e2511. DOI:10.1371/journal.pntd.0002511.

7. Kuzmin I.V., Niezgoda M., Franka R., Agwanda B., Markotter W., Beagley J.C., Urazova O.Y., Breiman R.F., Rupprecht C.E. Lagos Bat Virus in Kenya. J. Clin. Microbiol. 2008; 46(4):1451–61. DOI: 10.1128/JCM.00016-08.

8. Malerczyk C., Freuling C., Gniel D., Giesen A., Selhorst T., Müller T. Cross-neutralization of antibodies induced by vaccination with Purified Chick Embryo Cell Vaccine (PCECV) against different Lyssavirus species. Hum. Vaccin. Immunother. 2014; 10(10):2799–804. DOI: 10.4161/21645515.2014.972741.

9. Paweska J.T., Blumberg L.H., Liebenberg C., Hewlett R.H., Grobbelaar A.A., Leman P.A., Croft J.E., Nel L.H., Nutt L., Swanepoel R. Fatal Human Infection with Rabies-related Duvenhage Virus, South Africa. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 2006; 12:1965–7. DOI: 10.3201/eid1212.060764.

10. Virus Taxonomy: 2015 Release. EC 47, London, UK, July 2015. [Cited 01 Mar 2017]. Available from: http://www.ictvonline.org/virusTaxonomy.asp.

11. Warrell M. Rabies and African bat lyssavirus encephalitis and its prevention. Int. J. Antimicrob. Agents. 2010; 36(1):S47–52. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2010.06.021.

12. Youla A.S., Traore F.A., Sako F.B., Feda R.M., Emeric M.A. Canine and human rabies in Conakry: epidemiology and preventive aspects. Bull. Soc. Pathol. Exot. 2014; 107(1):18–21. DOI: 10.1007/s13149-013-0321-x.