Epidemiological and phylogenetic analysis of rabies virus isolated from humans in Henan province, China

Rabies remains a public health threat in China, and most transmissions are dog-mediated. In this study, we studied 31 clinically diagnosed human rabies patients that had been scratched or bitten by dogs. Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and nested RT-PCR were performed on saliva samples or cerebrospinal fluid, and samples from 28 patients tested positive for rabies virus. A total of one near-complete genome sequence, 15 complete glycoprotein (G) gene sequences, and five partial G gene sequences were determined. Phylogenetic analysis was performed, based on complete G gene sequences, using the maximum-likelihood method. The results indicated that the isolates belonged to the lyssavirus genotype I lineage and China I lineage. The Chinese rabies virus can be divided into six major lineages. The China I lineage was the dominant clade and could be divided into four subclades. Isolates 17HN19, 17HN75, and 18HN162 fell within clade IC subgroup, and the other isolates were assigned to the clade IA subgroup. This study provides epidemiological and genetic information on rabies incidence in humans.