Department of Animal Health, Azerbaijan Veterinary Scientific Institute, Baku, Azerbaijan
Research Article
Phylogeny Analysis Reveals the Circulation of Three Geographical Lineages of Rabies Virus in Azerbaijan
Author(s): Chichak Aliyeva*, Tamilla Aliyeva, Khalid Bayramov, Shalala Zeynalova, Kadir Yesilbag, Fahrettin Ozcan and Bahtiyar Yilmaz
Due to the fact that the rabies virus causes lethal infections in humans and animals, it is still considered a hazardous
disease. Azerbaijan and surrounding territories are described among the endemic regions for rabies. Geographical
conditions allow easy transitions for wild animals from the borders and affect the endemic situations and existence
of the rabies virus genotypes in a defined region. Thus the follow-up studies for the current epidemiological situation
in the field are crucial.
This study aimed to molecular characterization of the recent field strains of the rabies virus circulating in
Azerbaijan between 2018 and 2021. A total of 180 samples out of 238 submitted were found positive for rabies
by immunofluorescence assay and real-time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) during
the study period. Brain samples obtained from 1.. View more»