Origin of 3 Rabid Terrestrial Animals in Raccoon Rabies Virus–Free Zone, Long Island, New York, USA, 2016–2017

Abstract

During 2016–2017, three rabid terrestrial animals were discovered in the raccoon rabies virus–free zone of Long Island, New York, USA. Whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analyses revealed the likely origins of the viruses, enabling the rabies outbreak response (often costly and time-consuming) to be done less expensively and more efficiently.

Keywords

• rabies
• raccoon variant
• whole-genome sequencing
• United States
• phylogeny
• epidemiology