In South Africa, canid rabies virus (RABV) infection is maintained in domestic and wildlife species. The identification of rabies in African civets raised the question of whether this wildlife carnivore is a potential reservoir host of RABVs of direct and ancestral dog origin (dog-maintained and dog-derived origins) with an independent cycle of transmission. Genetic analyses of African civet nucleoprotein sequences for 23 African civet RABVs and historically published sequences demonstrated that RABVs from African civets have two origins related to dog and mongoose rabies enzootics. The data support observations of the interaction of civets with domestic dogs and wildlife mongooses, mostly in Northern South Africa and North-East Zimbabwe. Within each host species clade, African civet RABVs group exclusively together, implying intra-species virus transfer occurs readily. The canid RABV clade appears to support virus transfer more readily between hosts than mongoose RABVs. Furthermore, these data probably indicate short transmission chains with conspecifics that may be related to transient rabies maintenance in African civets. Hence, it is important to continue monitoring the emergence of lyssaviruses in this host. Observations from this study are supported by ongoing and independent similar cases, in which bat-eared foxes and black-backed jackal species maintain independent rabies cycles of what were once dog-maintained RABVs.

中文翻译：

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非洲灵猫的狂犬病：狂犬病病毒的偶然宿主？

在南非，家养和野生动物中都存在犬狂犬病病毒（RABV）感染。在非洲猫科动物中对狂犬病的鉴定提出了一个问题，即这种野生食肉动物是否可能是直接和祖先犬源（犬养和犬源犬）RABV的潜在宿主，并具有独立的传播周期。对23种非洲麝香RABV的非洲麝香核蛋白序列进行的遗传分析和历史上已公布的序列表明，来自非洲麝香的RABV具有与犬狂犬病和猫鼬狂犬病动物相关的两个起源。数据支持观察到麝香猫与家养狗和野生猫鼬的相互作用，主要是在南非北部和津巴布韦东北部。在每个寄主物种进化枝中，非洲灵猫RABV专门组合在一起，这意味着种内病毒的转移很容易发生。与猫鼬RABV相比，犬类RABV进化枝似乎更容易支持宿主之间的病毒转移。此外，这些数据可能表明短链具有特定的传播途径，这可能与非洲象鼻虫的短暂狂犬病维持有关。因此，重要的是继续监测该宿主中狂犬病病毒的出现。正在进行且独立的类似病例支持了这项研究的观察结果，在这些病例中，蝙蝠耳狐和黑背狐狼物种保持了独立的狂犬病周期，而狂犬病周期曾经是狗维持的RABV。这些数据可能表明短链具有特定的传播途径，这可能与非洲象鼻虫的短暂狂犬病维持有关。因此，重要的是继续监测该宿主中狂犬病病毒的出现。正在进行且独立的类似病例支持了这项研究的观察结果，在这些病例中，蝙蝠耳狐和黑背狐狼物种保持了独立的狂犬病周期，而狂犬病周期曾经是狗维持的RABV。这些数据可能表明短链具有特定的传播途径，这可能与非洲象鼻虫的短暂狂犬病维持有关。因此，重要的是继续监测该宿主中狂犬病病毒的出现。正在进行且独立的类似病例支持了这项研究的观察结果，在这些病例中，蝙蝠耳狐和黑背狐狼物种保持了独立的狂犬病周期，而狂犬病周期曾经是狗维持的RABV。