title: VIROLOGICAL AND SEROLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF RABIES IN BATS FROM AN URBAN AREA IN THE BRAZILIAN AMAZON.
abstract: 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 a priority area for studies on this zoonosis. Given this, the present study provides data on this phenomenon in an urban context, in order to assess the possible circulation of the classic rabies virus (RABV) among bat species in Capanema, a town in the Amazon basin. Bats were collected, in 2011, with mist nets during the wet and dry seasons. Samples of brain tissue and blood were collected for virological and serological survey, respectively. None of the 153 brain tissue samples analyzed tested positive for RABV infection, but 50.34% (95% CI: 45.67-55.01%) of the serum samples analyzed were seropositive. Artibeus planirostris was the most common species, with a high percentage of seropositive individuals (52.46%, 95% CI: 52.31 52.60%). Statistically, equal proportions of seropositive results were obtained in the rainy and dry seasons (c2 = 0.057, d.f. = 1, p = 0.88). Significantly higher 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 tested positive for infection, the high proportion of seropositive specimens indicates that RABV may be widespread in this urban area.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Bragança, PA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Rubens Souza de
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Bragança, PA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Lanna Jamile Corrêa da
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.affiliation: Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciências e Tecnologia, Tucuruí, PA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Atanaena Gonçalves de
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Wilson
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Uieda
authors.affiliation: Centro de Controle de Zoonoses, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Luzia Fátima Alves
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Martorelli
authors.affiliation: Centro de Controle de Zoonoses, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
authors.forename: Ana Paula de Arruda Geraldes
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.affiliation: Instituto Evandro Chagas, Belém, PA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Elizabeth Salbé Travassos da
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.affiliation: Instituto Evandro Chagas, Belém, PA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Pedro Fernando da Costa
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos
authors.affiliation: Instituto Evandro Chagas, Belém, PA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Armando de Souza
authors.initials: Ade S
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Secretaria de Estado de Saúde Pública, Capanema, PA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Antônio Ismael Barros do
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Carmo
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal do Pará, Bragança, PA, Brasil.
authors.forename: Marcus Emanuel Barroncas
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Fernandes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D001921:Brain / Q000821:virology; D001938:Brazil; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000097:blood / Q000821:virology*; D002947:Cities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004199:Disease Vectors; D011818:Rabies / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D012621:Seasons; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D014504:Urban Health
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral