Molecular epidemiology of rabies in Indonesia.

In order to clarify the genetic relationships and dynamics of rabies viruses that are epidemic in Indonesia, we determined and analyzed 1307 nucleotides of nucleoprotein genes of 34 rabies field isolates collected from Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Flores islands. Results of phylogenetic analysis indicated that rabies isolates in Indonesia formed one cluster, were of Asian lineage, and were closely related to a rabies isolate in China rather than to rabies isolates in Thailand, India or Sri Lanka. Rabies isolates in Indonesia were divided into three phylogroups (ID1, ID2 and ID3) that included seven lineages.

Genetic characterization of rabies field isolates from Thailand.

We sequenced 512 nucleotides in two variable regions of the N gene of 23 rabies isolates from the northeastern part of Thailand by direct sequencing of PCR-amplified products. The sequencing data revealed two new lineages in these rabies isolates. Based on the results of this study together with the findings of our earlier study, the rabies isolates in Thailand were divided into two genogroups, designated as T1 and T2, which were predominantly localized in the northern and northeastern areas, respectively.