Genetic diversity and geographic distribution of genetically distinct rabies viruses in the Philippines.

Background: Rabies continues to be a major public health problem in the Philippines, where 200-300 human cases were reported annually between 2001 and 2011. Understanding the phylogeography of rabies viruses is important for establishing a more effective and feasible control strategy.

Methods: We performed a molecular analysis of rabies viruses in the Philippines using rabied animal brain samples.