Rabies diagnosis and serology in bats from the State of São Paulo, Brazil Diagnóstico e sorologia de raiva em morcegos do Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

• Main Authors: Marilene Fernandes de Almeida, Luzia Fátima Alves Martorelli, Miriam Martos Sodré, Ana Paula Arruda Geraldes Kataoka, Adriana Ruckert da Rosa, Maria Lucia de Oliveira, Elizabeth Amatuzzi
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2011
• Subjects: Raiva; Quiróptero; Diagnóstico; Soroprevalência; Brasil; Rabies; Chiropteran; Diagnostic; Seroprevalence; Brazil; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/bb483b1f08194c04a008d2f6d695f8d6

INTRODUCTION: Bats are one of the most important reservoirs and vectors of the rabies virus in the world. METHODS: From 1988 to 2003, the Zoonosis Control Center in São Paulo City performed rabies diagnosis on 5,670 bats by direct immunofluorescent test and mouse inoculation test. Blood samples were collected from 1,618 bats and the sera were analyzed using the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test to confirm rabies antibodies. RESULTS: Forty-four (0.8%) bats were positive for rabies. The prevalence of rabies antibodies was 5.9% using 0.5IU/ml as a cutoff. Insectivorous bats (69.8%) and bats of the species Molossus molossus (51.8%) constituted the majority of the sample; however, the highest prevalence of antibodies were observed in Glossophaga soricina (14/133), Histiotus velatus (16/60), Desmodus rotundus (8/66), Artibeus lituratus (5/54), Nyctinomops macrotis (3/23), Tadarida brasiliensis (3/48), Carollia perspicillata (3/9), Eumops auripendulus (2/30), Nyctinomops laticaudatus (2/16), Sturnira lilium (2/17) and Eumops perotis (1/13). The prevalence of rabies antibodies was analyzed by species, food preference and sex. CONCLUSIONS: The expressive levels of antibodies associated with the low virus positivity verified in these bats indicate that rabies virus circulates actively among them. INTRODUÇÃO: Morcegos são um dos mais importantes reservatórios e vetores do vírus da raiva no mundo. MÉTODOS: No período entre 1998 e 2003, o Centro de Controle de Zoonoses da Cidade de São Paulo realizou o diagnóstico de raiva em 5.670 morcegos utilizando as técnicas de imunofluorescência direta e inoculação intracerebral em camundongos. Sangue foi coletado de 1.618 espécimes para pesquisa de anticorpos pela técnica de inibição de foco de fluorescência rápida. RESULTADOS: Quarenta e quatro (0,8%) morcegos foram positivos para raiva. A prevalência de anticorpos foi de 5,9% usando 0,5UI/ml como ponto de corte. Os morcegos de hábito alimentar insetívoro (69,8%) e os morcegos da espécie Molossus molossus (51,8%) representaram ...