Arctic and Arctic-Like Rabies Viruses: Distribution, Phylogeny and Evolutionary History

• Published in: Epidemiology and infection 2008-04, Vol.136 (4), p.509-519
• Main Authors: Kuzmin, I. V., Hughes, G. J., Botvinkin, A. D., Gribencha, S. G., Rupprecht, C. E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Datasets; Dogs; Epidemiology; Evolution; Foxes; Phylogenetics; Rabies; Rabies virus; Virology; Viruses
• ISSN: 0950-2688; 1469-4409
• DOI: 10.1017/S0905026880700903X

Forty-one newly sequenced isolates of Arctic and Arctic-like rabies viruses, were genetically compared to each other and to those available from GenBank. Four phylogenetic lineages of Arctic viruses were identified. Arctic-i viruses circulate in Ontario, Arctic-2 viruses circulate in Siberia and Alaska, Arctic-3 viruses circulate circumpolarly, and a newly described lineage Arctic-4 circulates locally in Alaska. The oldest available isolates from Siberia (between 1950 and 1960) belong to the Arctic-2 and Arctic-3 lineages and share 98·6-99·2% N gene identity with contemporary viruses. Two lineages of Arctic-like viruses were identified in southern Asia and the Middle East (Arctic-like-1) and eastern Asia (Arctic-like-2). A time-scaled tree demonstrates that the time of the most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) of Arctic and Arctic-like viruses is dated between 1255 and 1786. Evolution of the Arctic viruses has occurred through a northerly spread. The Arctic-like-2 lineage diverged first, whereas Arctic viruses share a TMRCA with Arctic-like-1 viruses.