Rabies in the Mongolian steppes

Historically, rabies in Mongolia has been connected to the specific steppe and forest-steppe landscapes, known as the Mongolian steppes. The main reservoirs of the rabies virus (RABV) are the wolf, red fox and corsac fox. Fox rabies has been reported in Mongolia since the early 1960s. Eleven human rabies cases (0.4 per million inhabitants) were reported in Mongolia from 1994-2004. Wild animals predominated as a source of human infection: five people died following wolf bites, two were exposed to foxes, and four to dogs. From 1996-2004, 1,273 rabid animals were reported (about 140 per year). Cattle consisted of more than 80% of all reported cases. The Mongolian steppes continue into the Chita region of Russia and the Republics of Buryatia, Tyva and Altai. Four RABV isolates from the western part of Mongolia were sequenced and compared with available isolates from Russia, China and other countries. The isolates from Mongolia belonged to the "steppe" phylogenetic clade, which includes viruses circulating in vast territories, from Southeast Europe to Tyva, West Siberia and Kazakhstan. However, RABV isolates from Mongolian-type steppes in the east (Chita region, Russia) belong to the eastern group of arctic-like viruses.