Rabies in Sri Lanka: Splendid Isolation

Abstract

Rabies virus exists in dogs on Sri Lanka as a single, minimally divergent lineage only distantly related to other rabies virus lineages in Asia. Stable, geographically isolated virus populations are susceptible to local extinction. A fully implemented rabies-control campaign could make Sri Lanka the first Asian country in >30 years to become free of rabies virus.

Keywords

• rabies virus
• Sri Lanka
• dogs
• communicable disease control
• lyssavirus
• virus typing