Study of neuroinvasiveness and neurovirulence of the rabies virus from central nervous system samples of cattle

• Grant number: 15/17807-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: March 01, 2016
• End date: August 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Enio Mori
• Grantee: Enio Mori
• Host Institution: Instituto Pasteur (IP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• City of the host institution: São Paulo
• Associated researchers: Karen Miyuki Asano ; Karin Corrêa Scheffer Ferreira ; Paulo César Maiorka ; Samira Maria Achkar Pinheiro

Abstract

Once the rabies virus does not infect all CNS structures uniformly, the antigen detection of this agent by direct fluorescent antibody test (DFAT) can have variable results. However, there is disagreement in the literature about which fragments would be most suitable for this purpose in cattle. Therefore, brain samples (thalamus, cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum and brain stem) of naturally infected cattle will be used from Section Rabies Diagnosis of the Pasteur Institute, during the period from April 2015 to April 2016. All collected samples will be used for rabies diagnosis purposes and subsequently used to compose series material. The tested samples will be analyzed by the following techniques: antigenic detection by DFAT and immunohistochemistry (IHC); virus isolation in cell culture (N2A lineage) and by inoculation in mice by the intracerebral route; detection of viral RNA by RT-PCR conventional and quantification of viral load by RT-real time PCR (RT-qPCR). Comparative studies of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of these different techniques will be performed. In addition to the analysis and verification of the intensity of the different histological lesions in various CNS structures (neurovirulence), it will be important to verify the antigenic distribution or presence of viral RNA in different portions of the CNS (neuroinvasiveness) by DFAT and IHC techniques or RT-PCR and RT-qPCR, respectively. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MESQUITA, LEONARDO PEREIRA; MARTINS GAMON, THAIS HELENA; CAMPUSANO CUEVAS, SILVIA ELENA; ASANO, KAREN MIYUKI; FAHL, WILLIAN DE OLIVEIRA; IAMAMOTO, KEILA; SCHEFFER, KARIN CORREA; ACHKAR, SAMIRA MARIA; ZANATTO, DENNIS ALBERT; CABRERA MORI, CLAUDIA MADALENA; et al. A rabies virus vampire bat variant shows increased neuroinvasiveness in mice when compared to a carnivore variant. ARCHIVES OF VIROLOGY, v. 162, n. 12, p. 3671-3679, DEC 2017. (15/17807-0)

CENTOAMORE, N. H. F.; CHIERATO, M. E. R.; SILVEIRA, V. B. V.; ASANO, K. M.; IAMAMOTO, K.; FAHL, W. O.; SCHEFFER, K. C.; ACHKAR, S. M.; MESQUITA, L. P.; MAIORKA, P. C.; et al. Comparison of five different laboratory techniques for the rabies diagnosis in clinically suspected cattle in Brazil. Journal of Virological Methods, v. 283, SEP 2020. (15/17807-0)