Activities in 2009
Rabies
Claude Sabeta
Rabies Unit, P Bag X05, Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
Tel.: (+27-12) 5299 439, Fax: (+27-12) 5299 390
SabetaC@arc.agric.za, www.arc.agric.za
Summary of general activities related to the disease
1.
2.
Test(s) in use for the specified disease at your laboratory
Test
For
Specificity
Total
Fluorescent antibody virus neutralisation test (FAVNT)
Antibody
Rabies
2571
Fluorescent antibody test (FAT)
Antigen
Lyssavirus
1507
Immunohistochemistry
Antigen
Lyssavirus
16
Mouse inoculation test (MIT)
Virus isolation
Lyssavirus
198
Production and distribution of diagnostic reagents
Produced two batches of 60 mls of anti-rabies FITC labelled conjugate (N4-15 and N4-16) for use in our
laboratory as well as for distribution to one international and several regional laboratories. Supplied the conjugate
to ccPro (Germany) (20 vials), Namibia (5 vials) and one vial each to the Central Veterinary Laboratories in
Swaziland, Malawi, Tanzania, Botswana.
Activities specifically related to the mandate
of OIE Reference Laboratories
3.
International harmonisation and standardisation of methods for diagnostic testing or the
production and testing of vaccines
We participated in three proficiency tests namely; the Biorad Platelia ELISA, the FAVNT and FAT, all organised
by AFSSA, France.
4.
Preparation and supply of international reference standards for diagnostic tests or vaccines
None
5.
Research and development of new procedures for diagnosis and control
The initial experiments for the development of a competitive ELISA (c-ELISA) for southern African lyssaviruses
(i.e. canid and mongoose rabies (genotype 1), Lagos bat virus (genotype 2), Mokola virus (genotype 3) and
Duvenhage virus (genotype 4) were initiated at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency during the year under
review. This is a joint project between the two sister OIE Rabies Reference Laboratories (Canada and South
Africa) and the University of Pretoria (South Africa) and it is hoped that through this tool, surveillance of rabiesrelated viruses in Southern Africa will be made possible. This serological tool could be further used for evaluating
success of rabies vaccination programs in South Africa and the whole sub-region.
Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres, 2009
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Rabies
6.
Collection, analysis and dissemination of epizootiological data relevant to international disease
control
During the year under review, 33% [502/1507] of the total submitted samples were positive for the lyssavirus
antigen, with the majority (60%) originating from domestic dogs. The re-emergence of dog rabies in certain parts
of the country notably Mpumalanga province in the east demonstrate that there are still some foci in which rabies
still exists. This study demonstrated that the re-emergence of rabies in Mpumalanga province resulted from the
spread of rabies from Nkomazi district (lineage A viruses, Figure 1). Comparative analysis demonstrated close
genetic relationships amongst rabies viruses from Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, Swaziland and
Mozambique. Findings from this investigation show that rabies continues to pose a definite public health threat in
South Africa a situation similar to other African countries. The single Mokola virus isolate recovered from a
domestic cat (from Grahamstown, South East South Africa) and confirmed through both antigenic and genetic
sequencing of a partial region of the nucleoprotein gene demonstrated that this virus is part of one of the two
lineages of this variant in South Africa. This recently-identified Mokola virus has been described in a manuscript
accepted for publication in FEMS Immunology and Medical Microbiology.
Figure 1 Phylogenetic tree based on an alignment of a 592 bp region of the G-L intergenic region for 58 RABV isolates
obtained from domestic dogs and cattle from Mpumalanga Province (MP), KwaZulu-Natal Province (KZN),
Mozambique (Moz) and Swaziland (Swaz) (all lineage A) and Limpopo Province (LP) (lineage B). A mongoose virus
isolate (m23/98) was used as an outgroup.
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Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres, 2009
Rabies
7.
Provision of consultant expertise to OIE or to OIE Members
No
8.
Provision of scientific and technical training to personnel from other OIE Members
A three-week long training in cell-culture based rabies diagnosis was provided to scientists at the National
Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) in Jos, Nigeria.
9.
Provision of diagnostic testing facilities to other OIE Members
Official diagnostic services were provided to Angola, Swaziland, Zambia and Lesotho.
10. Organisation of international scientific meetings on behalf of OIE or other international bodies
As a direct result of the recommendations emanating from the 8 th South East African Rabies Group (SEARG)
conference held in Gaborone in August 2008, the OIE Sub regional office funded a rabies diagnostic training at
the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute from July 27-31, 2009. The main objective of this training was to provide
both theoretical and practical training on rabies diagnosis with a view to enhance skills and knowledge on latest
diagnostic tests and techniques available for use in the Southern African Development Community (SADC)
region. All SADC member countries with the exception of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mauritius
attended.
Through the theoretical and practical training, the workshop fulfilled the following: an understanding of the basic
properties of the rabies virus, its transmission and disease course in Africa, an assessment of the role of the rabies
laboratory in terms of diagnostic capability and the interpretation of laboratory results; safe practices for those
working in rabies diagnosis or shipping laboratory specimens, identification and preparation of appropriate
specimens for rabies diagnosis, demonstrating proficiency in observing FAT slides, detecting virus antigen when
present and correctly interpreting difficult test results; summarising quality control and quality assurance
procedures for the rabies diagnostic laboratory as indicated. Other areas that were discussed include the role of dog
ecology in the context of rabies control, a review of the various surveillance tools (antigenic typing, phylogenetic
analysis and general case surveillance data) in rabies control and the concept of one health and positioning of
rabies as a neglected zoonosis.
11. Participation in international scientific collaborative studies
None
12. Publication and dissemination of information relevant to the work of OIE (including list of
scientific publications, internet publishing activities, presentations at international conferences)

Presentations at international conferences and meetings

Sabeta, C. Attended a committee meeting on the elimination of rabies in Kwazulu/Natal, a study being
sponsored by the Bill and Mellinda Gates Foundation, 19 th January, 2009.

Sabeta, C.T., Lucille Blumberg, Debra Kgwana Mohale, Jacobeth Mmantshuruge Miyen, Shumba, W, and
Alexander Immanuel Wandeler. Europe-Africa Frontier Research Conference Series on Infectious Diseases:
From basic to translational Research, Cape Town, 4-9 April. 2009.

Shumba W. Attended the Rabies Advisory Group (RAG) Meeting in Pietermaritzburg, 5-6 May, 2009.

Sabeta, C. Presentation made to the European Virus Archive (EVA) on the possible entry of the ARC to the
EVA consortium. Ljubljana, Slovenia. June 18 & 19, 2009.
Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres, 2009
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Rabies

Ngoepe, C.E., Mohale, K.D., Wandeler, A.I., Sabeta, C.T. The role of monoclonal antibodies (Mab) in the
study of epidemiology of lyssaviruses in South Africa. The 12th International Symposium on Veterinary
Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE), Durban, South Africa (10-14th August 2009).

Mkhize G.C., Ngoepe E.C. Du Plessis B.J.A, Reininghaus B. and Sabeta C.T. 12th International Symposium
on Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics (ISVEE XII). Durban, South Africa 9 -14 August 2009.

Scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals

Sabeta, C.T., Lucille Blumberg, Debra Kgwana Mohale, Jacobeth Mmantshuruge Miyen, Shumba, W, and
Alexander Immanuel Wandeler. 2009. Mokola virus (MOKV) involved in a human contact (South Africa).
FEMS Medical Microbiology and Immunology.
Zulu, G., Ngoepe, E., Du Plessis, B., Reninghaus, B. and Sabeta, C. 2009. Spread of canid rabies from
Nkomazi, Mpumalanga province (South Africa). Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases. Accepted for
publication.
Markotter, W., York, D., Sabeta, C.T., Shumba, W., Zulu. G., Le Roux, K and Nel, L.H. 2009. Evaluation of
a rapid immunodiagnostic test kit for detection of African lyssaviruses from brain material. Onderstepoort
Journal of Veterinary Research. 76: 257-262.
Ngoepe, EC., Sabeta, C.T. and Nel, L.H. 2009. The spread of canine rabies into the Free State Province of
South Africa: a molecular epidemiological characterization. Virus Research. 142:175-180.
Zulu, GC, Sabeta, C.T. and Nel, L.H. 2009. Molecular epidemiology of rabies: focus on domestic dogs (Canis
familiaris) and black-backed jackals (Canis mesomelas) from northern South Africa. Virus Research. 140 (12): 71-78.
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Other communications



Sabeta, C. Rabies in South Africa: an overview. Presented to NVRI, Nigeria, 12 March 2009.
Ogo, F., Nel, L.H. and Sabeta, CT. Molecular epidemiology of dog rabies in Nigeria. ISID News, 10 (3): 8-9.
Sabeta, C. 2009. Animal Rabies Diagnosis: from the field to the laboratory. Presentation made at the World
Rabies Day Scientific Events, Upington, Northern Cape, South Africa.
Sabeta, C. T., Zulu, G.C. & Ngoepe, C.E. 2009. The re-mergence of rabies in northern South Africa. Seminar
presented on 10 December to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Ottawa, Canada.

13. Inscription of diagnostic kits on the OIE Register
i)
Did you participate in expert panels for the validation of candidate kits for inscription on the
OIE Register? If yes, for which kits?
No
ii)
Did you submit to the OIE candidate kits for inscription on the OIE Register? If yes, for
which kits?
No
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Annual reports of OIE Reference Laboratories and Collaborating Centres, 2009