AUTHOR=Condori Rene E. , Kartskhia Natia , Avaliani Lasha , Donduashvili Marina , Elbakidze Tinatin , Kapanadze Ana , Pieracci Emily G. , Maghlakelidze Giorgi , Wadhwa Ashutosh , Morgan Clint N. , Reynolds Mary , Li Yu , Ninidze Lena TITLE=Comparing the genetic typing methods for effective surveillance and rabies control in Georgia JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology VOLUME=14 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1243510 DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2023.1243510 ISSN=1664-302X ABSTRACT=

A full nucleoprotein gene sequencing of 68 isolates collected from passive rabies surveillance system in Georgia between 2015 and 2016 identified two distinct dog rabies phylogroups, GEO_V1 and GEO_V2, which both belonged to the cosmopolitan dog clade. GEO_V1 was found throughout the country and was further divided into four sub-phylogroups that overlapped geographically; GEO_V2 was found in the southeast region and was closely related to dog rabies in Azerbaijan. A sequence analysis of the full N gene, partial nucleoprotein gene of N-terminal and C-terminal, and the amplicon sequences of pan-lyssavirus RT-qPCR LN34 showed that all four sequencing approaches provided clear genetic typing results of canine rabies and could further differentiate GEO_V1 and GEO_V2. The phylogenetic analysis results vary and were affected by the length of the sequences used. Amplicon sequencing of the LN34 assay positive samples provided a rapid and cost-effective method for rabies genetic typing, which is important for improving rabies surveillance and canine rabies eradication globally.