TY - JOUR
T1 - Phylogeographic analysis of rabies viruses in the Philippines
AU - Tohma, Kentaro
AU - Saito, Mariko
AU - Kamigaki, Taro
AU - Tuason, Laarni T.
AU - Demetria, Catalino S.
AU - Orbina, Jun Ryan C.
AU - Manalo, Daria L.
AU - Miranda, Mary E.
AU - Noguchi, Akira
AU - Inoue, Satoshi
AU - Suzuki, Akira
AU - Quiambao, Beatriz P.
AU - Oshitani, Hitoshi
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank the staff of Regional Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratories of Regions I, II, III, V, VII, X, CAR, and Provincial Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory of Negros Oriental for providing samples and epidemiological information. We thank the staff of RITM, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and Tohoku-RITM Collaborating Research Center on Emerging and Reemerging Infectious Diseases for their laboratory technical assistance. Financial support was provided by the “ Japan Initiative for Global Research Network on Infectious Diseases (J-GRID) ” from the Ministries of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan and The Health and Labour Science Research Grant from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan; H20-Shinkou-ippan-01 .
PY - 2014/4
Y1 - 2014/4
N2 - Rabies still remains a public health threat in the Philippines. A significant number of human rabies cases, about 200-300 cases annually, have been reported, and the country needs an effective strategy for rabies control. To develop an effective control strategy, it is important to understand the transmission patterns of the rabies viruses. We conducted phylogenetic analyses by considering the temporal and spatial evolution of rabies viruses to reveal the transmission dynamics in the Philippines.After evaluating the molecular clock and phylogeographic analysis, we estimated that the Philippine strains were introduced from China around the beginning of 20th century. Upon this introduction, the rabies viruses evolved within the Philippines to form three major clades, and there was no indication of introduction of other rabies viruses from any other country. However, within the Philippines, island-to-island migrations were observed. Since then, the rabies viruses have diffused and only evolved within each island group.The evolutionary pattern of these viruses was strongly shaped by geographical boundaries. The association index statistics demonstrated a strong spatial structure within the island group, indicating that the seas were a significant geographical barrier for viral dispersal. Strong spatial structure was also observed even at a regional level, and most of the viral migrations (79.7% of the total median number) in Luzon were observed between neighboring regions.Rabies viruses were genetically clustered at a regional level, and this strong spatial structure suggests a geographical clustering of transmission chains and the potential effectiveness of rabies control that targets geographical clustering. Dog vaccination campaigns have been conducted independently by local governments in the Philippines, but it could be more effective to implement a coordinated vaccination campaign among neighboring areas to eliminate geographically-clustered rabies transmission chains.
AB - Rabies still remains a public health threat in the Philippines. A significant number of human rabies cases, about 200-300 cases annually, have been reported, and the country needs an effective strategy for rabies control. To develop an effective control strategy, it is important to understand the transmission patterns of the rabies viruses. We conducted phylogenetic analyses by considering the temporal and spatial evolution of rabies viruses to reveal the transmission dynamics in the Philippines.After evaluating the molecular clock and phylogeographic analysis, we estimated that the Philippine strains were introduced from China around the beginning of 20th century. Upon this introduction, the rabies viruses evolved within the Philippines to form three major clades, and there was no indication of introduction of other rabies viruses from any other country. However, within the Philippines, island-to-island migrations were observed. Since then, the rabies viruses have diffused and only evolved within each island group.The evolutionary pattern of these viruses was strongly shaped by geographical boundaries. The association index statistics demonstrated a strong spatial structure within the island group, indicating that the seas were a significant geographical barrier for viral dispersal. Strong spatial structure was also observed even at a regional level, and most of the viral migrations (79.7% of the total median number) in Luzon were observed between neighboring regions.Rabies viruses were genetically clustered at a regional level, and this strong spatial structure suggests a geographical clustering of transmission chains and the potential effectiveness of rabies control that targets geographical clustering. Dog vaccination campaigns have been conducted independently by local governments in the Philippines, but it could be more effective to implement a coordinated vaccination campaign among neighboring areas to eliminate geographically-clustered rabies transmission chains.
KW - Diffusion process
KW - Evolutionary history
KW - Philippines
KW - Rabies virus
KW - Spatial structure
KW - Transmission dynamics
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U2 - 10.1016/j.meegid.2014.01.026
DO - 10.1016/j.meegid.2014.01.026
M3 - Article
C2 - 24512808
AN - SCOPUS:84896717676
VL - 23
SP - 86
EP - 94
JO - Infection, Genetics and Evolution
JF - Infection, Genetics and Evolution
SN - 1567-1348
ER -
