Identification and genetic characterization of rabies virus from Egyptian water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) bitten by a fox.

Rabies is caused by negative strand RNA-virus classified in the genus Lyssavirus, family Rhabdoviridae of the order Mononegavirales. The aim of the present study was to identify and analyze nucleotides sequence of nucleoprotein (N) gene of rabies virus (RABV) from two cases of water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) bitten by a fox in Egypt, 2013. The diseased buffaloes showed nervous manifestations with fever. Specimens from brains of the buffaloes with suspected rabies were collected. RABV in collected samples was identified using direct fluorescent antibody (dFA) technique, histopathological examination and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Also, nucleotides sequence of partially amplified nucleoprotein (N) gene was compared with the other street strains of RABV available on GenBank. The results revealed that RABV antigen was identified in the brains of diseased buffaloes by dFA technique and the characteristic intracytoplasmic inclusions (Negri bodies) and RABV nucleic acid were detected by histopathology and RT-PCR, respectively. The identified virus showed close genetic relationship with street strains identified previously from dogs in different Governorates in Egypt and with strains identified in Israel and Jordan indicating transmission of the virus between Egyptian Governorates with a potential transmission from and/or to our neighboring countries.