VIROLOGICAL AND SEROLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF RABIES IN BATS FROM AN URBAN AREA IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON

The outbreaks of rabies in humans transmitted by Desmodus rotundus in 2004 and 2005,in the northeast of the Brazilian State of Para, eastern Amazon basin, made this apriority area for studies on this zoonosis. Given this, the present study providesdata on this phenomenon in an urban context, in order to assess the possiblecirculation of the classic rabies virus (RABV) among bat species in Capanema, a townin the Amazon basin. Bats were collected, in 2011, with mist nets during the wet anddry seasons. Samples of brain tissue and blood were collected for virological andserological survey, respectively. None of the 153 brain tissue samples analyzedtested positive for RABV infection, but 50.34% (95% CI: 45.67-55.01%) of the serumsamples analyzed were seropositive. Artibeus planirostris was the most commonspecies, with a high percentage of seropositive individuals (52.46%, 95% CI: 52.3152.60%). Statistically, equal proportions of seropositive results were obtained inthe rainy and dry seasons (c² = 0.057, d.f. = 1, p = 0.88). Significantlyhigher proportions of males (55.96%, 95% CI: 48.96-62.96%) and adults (52.37%, 95%CI: 47.35-57.39%) were seropositive. While none of the brain tissue samples testedpositive for infection, the high proportion of seropositive specimens indicates thatRABV may be widespread in this urban area.