Epidemiology of Rabies in Southeast Europe

1
Epidemiology of Rabies in Southeast Europe

• Nicholas Johnson
• Rabies and Wildlife Zoonoses Group
• WHO Collaborating Centre for the Characterization
  of Rabies and Rabies-Related Viruses

2
Introduction

• Rabies is endemic within many countries of south
  east Europe
• The fox is the principal reservoir species but
  dog rabies cases still reported
• Few epidemiological studies reported from the
  region
• Identify factors that contribute to epidemiology
• Lack of knowledge hampers vaccination programmes

3
Southeast Europe (the Balkans)
4
The Balkan Peninsular
Poland
Russia
Czech Republic
Ukraine
Slovakia
Austria
Hungary
Slovenia
Romania
Croatia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Serbia
Bulgaria
Mac
Albania
Greece
Turkey
5
Cohort Details
6
Isolate details
7
Region of the Genome
N
P
M
G
L
327 nucleotides
TTATCGTGGATCAATATGAGTACAAGTACCCTGCCATCAAAGATTTGAAA
AAGCCCTGTATAACTCTAGGAAAGGCTCCC GATTTAAATAAAGCATACA
AGTCAGTTTTATCATGCATGAGCGCCGCCAAACTTGATCCTGACGATGTA
TGTTCCTATTT GGCGGCGGCAATGCAGTTTTTTGAGGGGACATGTCCGG
AAGACTGGACCAGCTATGGAATCGTGATTGCACGAAAAGGAG ATAAGAT
CACCCCAGGTTCTCTGGTGGAGATAAAACGTACTGATGTAGAAGGGAATT
GGGCTCTGACAGGAGGCATGGAA CTGACAAGAGACCCCAC
8
Phylogenetic analysis of RABV sequences from
Southeastern Europe
Bulgaria
SAD B19
Eastern Turkey
Pasteur
Romania
Western Turkey
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Romania / Russia
9
Phylogenetic tree of Eastern European Isolates
Eastern Romania / Russia
10
Romania
11
Bulgaria
Targovishte
Dobrich
Lovech
Montana
Pleven
Lovech
Former Yugoslavia
Vidin
Montana
12
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Hungary
13
Conclusions

• Most isolates fall into the East European group
  of viruses
• Geography dominates isolate clustering
• Topography may play a significant role in
  preventing spread
• of fox-rabies
• The Danube appears to block movement between
  Romania
• and Bulgaria
• Such factors could assist in future vaccination
  campaigns

14
Acknowledgements
Co-Authors Veterinary Laboratories Agency (UK) AR
Fooks FLI-Wusterhausen (Germany) T Muller, C
Freuling IDT (Germany) A Vos Etlik CVRI
(Turkey) O Aylan H Un Natl. Diag. Res
Vet Inst (Bulgaria) R Valtchovski Inst. Diag.
Animal Health (Romania) M Turcitu F
Dumistrescu V Vlad Univ. Sarajevo
(Bosnia-Hervegovina) R Velic Vet. Inst. Of
Republika of Srpska V Sandrac Funding Defra (UK)