Classification
The causative agent of
rabies is a negative strand RNA-virus belonging to the genus Lyssavirus, family
Rhabdoviridae of the order Mononegavirales. The genus lyssavirus is delineated
into 7different genotypes and further four genotypes are postulated. The
genotypes segregate in two phylogroups including genotypes 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7 (phylogroup
I); and 2 and 3 (phylogroup II). Viruses of each phylogroup differ in their
biological properties (pathogenicity, induction of apoptosis, cell receptor
recognition, etc.).
Genotyp
I virus is the rabies virus (RABV) which is the causative agent of the classical
rabies. All lyssaviruses cause indistinguishable fatal encephalitis both in
humans and other mammals, thus the term “rabies-related” was created.
Interestingly, bats are the
main virus reservoir species of most of the Lyssavirus genotypes.
Classification of lyssaviruses
|
Species |
Abbreviation
(ICTV)a |
Serotype |
Genotype |
Potential vector(s)/reservoirs |
Distribution |
|
Lyssavirus (Rabiesvirus) |
RABV |
I |
I |
Carnivores (worldwide); bats
(Americas) |
Worldwide
(except
several islands) |
|
Lagos-Bat-Virus |
LBV |
II |
II |
Frugivorous bats (Megachiroptera)
|
Afrika |
|
Mokola-Virus |
MOKV |
III |
III |
? |
Sub-Saharan Africa |
|
Duvenhage Virus |
DUVV |
IV |
IV |
Insectivorous bats
|
Southern Africa |
|
European Bat Lyssavirus
1 |
EBLV 1 |
|
V |
Insectivorous bats
(Eptesicus serotinus) |
Europe |
|
European Bat Lyssavirus
2 |
EBLV 2 |
|
VI |
Insectivorous bats
(Myotis sp) |
Europe |
|
Australian Bat
Lyssavirus |
ABLV |
|
VII |
Frugivorous/insectivorous bats
(Megachiroptera/Microchiroptera) |
Australia |
|
Aravan virus |
ARAV |
? |
? |
Insectivorous bats |
Central Asia |
|
Khujand virus |
KHUV |
? |
? |
Insectivorous bats
|
Central Asia |
|
Irkut virus |
IRKV |
? |
? |
Insectivorous bats
|
East Siberia |
|
West Causcasian bat
virus |
WCBV |
? |
? |
Insectivorous bats |
Caucasian region |
a
ICTV = International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses.
