Abstract:
Despite being the first country to register confirmed cases of Mokola and Lagos bat
lyssaviruses (two very distant lyssaviruses), knowledge gaps, particularly on the molecular
epidemiology of lyssaviruses, still exist in Nigeria. A total of 278 specimens were collected from
dogs in southeastern Nigeria between October 2015 and July 2016, and 23 (8.3%) of these tested
positive for lyssaviruses with the direct fluorescent antibody test (DFA). The lyssaviruses were
genetically characterized by amplifying the highly conserved nucleoprotein (N) gene of the rabies
lyssaviruses (RABVs) of the viral genome. Phylogenetic analyses of the nucleotide sequences showed
that all the RABV sequences in this study were of the Africa-2 lineage. Our results demonstrated
that transboundary transmission of rabies lyssavirus is a key event, given that one of the RABV
sequences (MN196576) clustered with rabies variants from neighboring Niger Republic. Furthermore,
three RABVs from dogs from Anambra State clustered separately forming a novel and distinct
group. Our results demonstrated that transboundary transmission of RABLVs is a key driver in
the spread of rabies in West Africa. In order for the successful control of this zoonotic disease,
a multinational stepwise surveillance and elimination of rabies in Africa by 2030 is probably the
solution for regional elimination.
