Molecular Characterization of Lyssaviruses Originating from Domestic and Wild Cats Provides an Insight on the Diversity of Lyssaviruses and a Risk of Rabies Transmission to Other Susceptible Mammals and Humans in South Africa.

Rabies is one of the most significant public and veterinary health problems, causing approximately 59,000 human deaths annually in the developing countries of Asia and Africa. The aetiologic agent, a viral species of the genus, is highly neurotropic and has a wide host range, including terrestrial mammals and several species. The (MOKV) was first isolated in the late 1960s from organ pools of shrews () in the Mokola forest (Nigeria).