Characterization of rabies virus isolated from a colony of Eptesicus furinalis bats in Brazil

• Published in: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Main Authors: Marilene Fernandes de Almeida, Silvana R. Favoretto, Luzia F. Alves Martorelli, José Trezza-Netto, Angélica Cristine de Almeida Campos, Carlos H. Ozahata, Miriam Martos Sodré, Ana Paula A. G. Kataoka, Débora R. Veiga Sacramento, Edison L. Durigon
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade de São Paulo (USP) 2011
• Subjects: Rabies; Bats; Eptesicus furinalis; Antigenic typing; Genetic characterization; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Infectious and parasitic diseases; RC109-216; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/S0036-46652011000100006; https://doaj.org/article/2b2a93ace22c4f4680ecb073494a7e6a

Some bat species have adapted to the expanding human population by acquiring the ability to roost in urban buildings, increasing the exposure risk for people and domestic animals, and consequently, the likelihood of transmitting rabies. Three dead bats were found in the yard of a house in an urban area of Jundiaí city in the state of São Paulo in southeast Brazil. Two of the three bats tested positive for rabies, using Fluorescent Antibody and Mouse Inoculation techniques. A large colony of Eptesicus furinalis was found in the house's attic, and of the 119 bats captured, four more tested positive for rabies. The objectives of this study were to report the rabies diagnosis, characterize the isolated virus antigenically and genetically, and study the epidemiology of the colony.