{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T05:19:54Z","timestamp":1787721594858,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787529600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100019644","name":"Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","award":["IRN BR22884615"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["IRN BR22884615"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100019644","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]},{"award":["IRN BR22884615"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["IRN BR22884615"]}],"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03577hm03","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Rabies remains one of the most significant zoonotic infections, characterized by high mortality. In Kazakhstan, the virus circulates among both domestic and wild animals, necessitating ongoing molecular genetic monitoring and improved laboratory diagnostic methods. The aim of this study was to investigate the genetic characteristics of the rabies virus circulating among animals in Kazakhstan using nucleoprotein (N) gene analysis and to develop a regionally adapted real-time RT-PCR method for its detection. Kazakhstani rabies virus isolates deposited in GenBank revealed that all belong to a cosmopolitan lineage and form a single phylogenetic cluster, regardless of host species. Isolates from neighboring countries, including China and Russia, were also included in this cluster, demonstrating the regional relationship of circulating virus variants. The obtained data were used to develop a real-time PCR method based on the genetic characteristics of the rabies virus circulating in Kazakhstan. The diagnostic performance of the method was evaluated using 144 samples of various origins obtained from domestic and wild animals, including bats. The developed assay demonstrated a sensitivity of 86.4%, a specificity of 98.4%, and a diagnostic efficiency of 96.5%. The proposed method ensures reliable detection of rabies virus variants circulating in Kazakhstan and can be used for laboratory diagnostics and epidemiological monitoring.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens15090886","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T14:49:34Z","timestamp":1787582974000},"page":"886","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Molecular Genetic Analysis of the Rabies Virus in Wild and Domestic Animals of Kazakhstan and the Development of a Diagnostic System"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Kulyaisan T.","family":"Sultankulova","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems, National Holding QazBioPharm, The Ministry of Health Care of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Gvardeiskiy 080409, Kazakhstan"},{"name":"MVA Group Research and Production Center, Almaty Region, Karasai District, Koksai village 040900, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aigerim K.","family":"Abubakirova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems, National Holding QazBioPharm, The Ministry of Health Care of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Gvardeiskiy 080409, Kazakhstan"},{"name":"Department of Microbiology, Virology and Immunology, Faculty of Veterinary Science and Zooengineering, Kazakh National Agrarian Research University, Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gaukhar O.","family":"Shynybekova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems, National Holding QazBioPharm, The Ministry of Health Care of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Gvardeiskiy 080409, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Meirim D.","family":"Almezhanova","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems, National Holding QazBioPharm, The Ministry of Health Care of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Gvardeiskiy 080409, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6299-9399","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nurlan S.","family":"Kozhabergenov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems, National Holding QazBioPharm, The Ministry of Health Care of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Gvardeiskiy 080409, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7572-9654","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Zhumagali K.","family":"Koshemetov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems, National Holding QazBioPharm, The Ministry of Health Care of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Gvardeiskiy 080409, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kamshat A.","family":"Shorayeva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems, National Holding QazBioPharm, The Ministry of Health Care of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Gvardeiskiy 080409, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kuandyk D.","family":"Zhugunissov","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems, National Holding QazBioPharm, The Ministry of Health Care of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Gvardeiskiy 080409, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5882-4964","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mukhit B.","family":"Orynbayev","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems, National Holding QazBioPharm, The Ministry of Health Care of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Gvardeiskiy 080409, Kazakhstan"},{"name":"MVA Group Research and Production Center, Almaty Region, Karasai District, Koksai village 040900, Kazakhstan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Abdrakhmanov, S.K., Abenova, A.Z., Mukhanbetkaliyeva, A.A., Korennoy, F.I., and Perez, A.M. 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