Antibodies to rabies virus in terrestrial wild mammals in native rainforest on the north coast of São Paulo State, Brazil.
Rabies causes thousands of human and animal deaths worldwide each year. The emergent importance of rabies in wild animals demonstrates the necessity of epidemiologic studies of infection in these species toward the development of better strategies for prevention and control of rabies. We analyzed the circulation of rabies virus among wildlife species from a native rainforest in São Paulo State, Brazil. We used the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT) to test for rabies virus-neutralizing antibodies in 139 captured terrestrial mammals and the fluorescent antibody test (FAT), mouse inoculation test (MIT), and reverse-transcriptase (RT)-PCR to test for virus in samples from the central nervous system of 53 animals found dead. The percentage of samples positive by RFFIT was 10.8%. All samples tested by FAT, MIT, and RT-PCR were negative. Research should be continued to obtain a better understanding of the role of wildlife in the circulation and transmission of rabies virus.
1  Center for Research on Rabies, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 1374, Room 225, Butantan, CEP 05508-900, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Danielle B
DB
Araujo
Luzia A
LA
Martorelli
Ana Paula G A
AP
Kataoka
Angélica C A
AC
Campos
Camila S
CS
Rodrigues
Luiz F
LF
Sanfilippo
Elenice S
ES
Cunha
Edison L
EL
Durigon
Silvana R
SR
Favoretto
D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D001681:Biological Assay; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D017753:Ecosystem; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D008322:Mammals; D011818:Rabies / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000276:immunology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral
Brazil; diagnosis; epidemiology; rabies; serology; wild mammals