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Ante-mortem and Post-mortem Diagnosis Modalities and Phylogenetic Analysis of Rabies Virus in Domestic and Wild Animals of Gujarat, India

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Abstract

In the present study, total of 32 ante-mortem (AM) samples (saliva = 18 and corneal smears = 14) from six animal species (cattle = 5; camel = 1; goat = 1; horse = 1; buffalo = 4; dog = 6) and 28 post-mortem (PM) samples of domestic (cattle = 6; camel = 1; goat = 1; buffalo = 5; dog = 7) and wild animals (lion = 4, mongoose = 2; bear = 1; leopard = 1) were examined for rabies diagnosis in Gujarat, India. Direct fluorescent antibody test (dFAT) and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were applied on AM samples, whereas along with dFAT and RT-PCR, histopathological examination, immunohistochemistry (IHC) and real time PCR (qPCR) were used for PM diagnosis. Nucleotide sequencing of full nucleoprotein (N) and glycoprotein (G) genes were carried out upon representative amplicons. In AM examination, 7/18 saliva and 5/14 corneal impressions samples were found positive in dFAT and 8/18 saliva samples were found positive in RT-PCR. In PM examination, 14/28 samples showed positive results in dFAT and IHC with unusual large fluorescent foci in two samples. In histopathology, 11/28 samples showed appreciable lesion and Negri bodies were visible in 6 samples, only. Out of 23 brain samples examined. 12 samples were found positive in N gene RT-PCR and qPCR, and 10 samples in G gene RT-PCR. Phylogenetic analysis of N gene revealed that test isolates (except sample ID: lion-1; lion, Gir) form a close group with sequence ID, KM099393.1 (Mongoose, Hyderabad) and KF660246.1 (Water Buffalo, Hyderabad) which was far from some south Indian and Sri Lankan isolates but similar to Indian isolates from rest of India and neighboring countries. In G gene analysis, the test isolates form a close group with sequence ID, KP019943.1.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are highly thankful to all the concern officers of the Forest Department, GoG, Gujarat for submission of wildlife samples and Dr. D. V. Joshi, Principal and Dean, College of Veterinary Science & AH, SDAU, SK Nagar for his kind support throughout the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University (Now Under Kamdhenu University), Sardarkrushinagar, Banaskantha, Gujarat, 385005, India

    Maulik G. Patel, Arun C. Patel, Kishan K. Sharma, Sandip S. Patel & Harshad C. Chauhan

  2. Department of Animal Biotechnology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University (Now Under Kamdhenu University), Sardarkrushinagar, Banaskantha, Gujarat, 385005, India

    Mehul D. Shrimali & Sushil K. Mohapatra

  3. Department of Veterinary Pathology, College of Veterinary Science and Animal Husbandry, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University (Now Under Kamdhenu University), Sardarkrushinagar, Banaskantha, Gujarat, 385005, India

    Samir H. Raval & Rohit S. Parmar

  4. Gir (East) Forest Division-Dhari, Gov. of Gujarat, Dhari, Gujarat, India

    Hitesh G. Vamja

  5. Forest Division- Banaskantha, Gov. of Gujarat, Banaskantha, Gujarat, India

    Jitendra Bhatol

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  1. Maulik G. Patel
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Contributions

MGP: sample collection, most of laboratory work (as Post graduate student); ACP: conceptualization of study and FAT, RT-PCR, data analysis (as major advisor); SHR: immunohistochemistry and pathological examination; KKS: data analysis, manuscript preparation; SSP: sample collection, RT-PCR; HCC: overall supervision of the study; RSP: pathological examination; MDS: FAT; HNV: sample collection from wild animals at Gir; JB: sample collection from wild animals at Banaskantha; SKM: sequencing and phylogenetic analysis.

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Correspondence to Kishan K. Sharma.

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Patel, M.G., Patel, A.C., Raval, S.H. et al. Ante-mortem and Post-mortem Diagnosis Modalities and Phylogenetic Analysis of Rabies Virus in Domestic and Wild Animals of Gujarat, India. Indian J Microbiol 63, 645–657 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-023-01126-0

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