title: [Hematophagous bats as reservoirs of rabies].
abstract: Rabies continues to be a challenge for public health authorities and a constraint to the livestock industry in Latin America. Wild and domestic canines and vampire bats are the main transmitter species and reservoirs of the disease. Currently, variations observed in the epidemiological profile of rabies, where the species of hematophagous bat Desmodus rotundus constitutes the main transmitting species. Over the years, knowledge has accumulated about the ecology, biology and behavior of this species and the natural history of rabies, which should lead to continuous development of methods of population control of d. Rotundus as well as prevention and diagnostic tools for rabies. Ecological relationships of this species with other hematophagous and non-hematophagous bats is unknown, and there is much room for improvement in reporting systems and surveillance, as well as creating greater awareness among the farming community. Understanding the impact of human-induced environmental changes on the rabies virus in bats should be cause for further investigation. This will require a combination of field studies with mathematical models and new diagnostic tools. This review aims to present the most relevant issues on the role of hematophagous bats as reservoirs and transmitters of the rabies virus.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Pasteur, São Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: Karin Corrêa
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Scheffer
authors.affiliation: Instituto Pasteur, São Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: Keila
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iamamoto
authors.affiliation: Instituto Pasteur, São Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: Karen Miyuki
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Asano
authors.affiliation: Instituto Pasteur, São Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: Enio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.affiliation: Médica veterinaria, Piracicaba, Brasil.
authors.forename: Andrea Isabel
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Estevez Garcia
authors.affiliation: Instituto Pasteur, São Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: Samira M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Achkar
authors.affiliation: Instituto Pasteur, São Paulo, Brasil.
authors.forename: Williande Oliveira
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Fahl
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000821:virology*; D004197:Disease Reservoirs / Q000821:virology*; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America / Q000453:epidemiology; D011818:Rabies / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011820:Rabies virus