Determination of nucleocapside antigenic characteristics of 3 rabies virus strains isolated in Brazil by anti-nucleocapside monoclonal antibodies technique

Abstract

A study was conducted to determine the nucleocapside antigenic characteristics, by the monoclonal antibodies technique, of 3 rabies virus strains, isolated in Brazil. Two of them were isolated from dogs, one from Jales city, in São Paulo state, and the other, from Nigeria, Africa. The third strain, DR 19, was isolated from brazilian vampire bat and has been considered as an intermediary strain. All the strains were identified as antigenically different, but with all characteristics of the rabies virus strains. The Nigerian strain was confirmed as an African strain. In the other hand, the Jales and Nigeria strains, both isolated from dogs, but from differents regions, showed pronounced differences in the nucleocapside antigenic characteristics.