title: Bat rabies in Guatemala.
abstract: Rabies in bats is considered enzootic throughout the New World, but few comparative data are available for most countries in the region. As part of a larger pathogen detection program, enhanced bat rabies surveillance was conducted in Guatemala, between 2009 and 2011. A total of 672 bats of 31 species were sampled and tested for rabies. The prevalence of rabies virus (RABV) detection among all collected bats was low (0.3%). Viral antigens were detected and infectious virus was isolated from the brains of two common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus). RABV was also isolated from oral swabs, lungs and kidneys of both bats, whereas viral RNA was detected in all of the tissues examined by hemi-nested RT-PCR except for the liver of one bat. Sequencing of the nucleoprotein gene showed that both viruses were 100% identical, whereas sequencing of the glycoprotein gene revealed one non-synonymous substitution (302T,S). The two vampire bat RABV isolates in this study were phylogenetically related to viruses associated with vampire bats in the eastern states of Mexico and El Salvador. Additionally, 7% of sera collected from 398 bats demonstrated RABV neutralizing antibody. The proportion of seropositive bats varied significantly across trophic guilds, suggestive of complex intraspecific compartmentalization of RABV perpetuation.
authors: Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America; Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America.
authors: James A
authors: JA
authors: Ellison
authors: United States Department of Agriculture, National Wildlife Research Center, Ft. Collins, Colorado, United States of America.
authors: Amy T
authors: AT
authors: Gilbert
authors: Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors: Sergio
authors: S
authors: Recuenco
authors: Center for Health Studies, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Moran
authors: Center for Health Studies, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala, Guatemala City, Guatemala.
authors: Danilo A
authors: DA
authors: Alvarez
authors: Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors: Natalia
authors: N
authors: Kuzmina
authors: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Regional Office for Central America, Guatemala City, Guatemala; Division of Health Protection, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors: Daniel L
authors: DL
authors: Garcia
authors: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Regional Office for Central America, Guatemala City, Guatemala; Division of Health Protection, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors: Leonard F
authors: LF
authors: Peruski
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, United States of America.
authors: Mary T
authors: MT
authors: Mendonça
authors: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Regional Office for Central America, Guatemala City, Guatemala; Division of Health Protection, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America.
authors: Kim A
authors: KA
authors: Lindblade
authors: Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, St. Kitts, West Indies.
authors: Charles E
authors: CE
authors: Rupprecht
mesh_terms: D000825:Animal Structures / Q000821:virology; D000818:Animals; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000821:virology*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005260:Female; D006166:Guatemala / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011818:Rabies / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015678:Viral Structural Proteins