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Made available in DSpace on 2015-11-03T15:30:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2014-11-01. Added 1 bitstream(s) on 2015-11-04T10:14:35Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 S0037-86822014000600709.pdf: 936273 bytes, checksum: 2cd1319e1d83075796ede708366c71b5 (MD5) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Introduction: Rabies is an important zoonosis that occurs in mammals, with bats acting as Lyssavirus reservoirs in urban, rural and natural areas. Rabies cases in bats have been recorded primarily in urban areas in Northwestern State of Sao Paulo since 1998. This study investigated the circulation of rabies virus by seeking to identify the virus in the brain in several species of bats in this region and by measuring rabies-virus neutralizing antibody levels in the hematophagous bat Desmodus rotundus. Methods: From 2008 to 2012, 1,490 bat brain samples were sent to the Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Rabies Laboratory in Aracatuba, and 125 serum samples from vampire bats that were captured in this geographical region were analyzed. Results: Rabies virus was detected in the brains of 26 (2%) of 1,314 non-hematophagous bats using the fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and the mouse inoculation test (MIT). None of the 176 hematophagous bat samples were positive for rabies virus when a virus detection test was utilized. Out of 125 vampire bat serum samples, 9 (7%) had levels of rabies virus neutralization antibodies (RVNAs) that were higher than 0.5IU/mL; 65% (81/125) had titers between 0.10IU/mL and 0.5IU/mL; and 28% (35/125) were negative for RVNAs using the simplified fluorescent inhibition microtest (SFIMT) in BHK21 cells. The observed positivity rate (1.7%) was higher than the average positivity rate of 1.3% that was previously found in this region. Conclusions: The high percentage of vampire bats with neutralizing antibodies suggests that recent rabies virus exposure has occurred, indicating the necessity of surveillance measures in nearby regions that are at risk to avoid diffusion of the rabies virus and possible rabies occurrences. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária de Araçatuba, Araçatuba, SP Polo Regional de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico dos Agronegócios da Alta Sorocabana, Agência Paulista de Tecnologia Agropecuária, Presidente Prudente, SP Curso de Farmácia e Bioquímica, Universidade Paulista, Araçatuba, SP Núcleo de Pesquisas em Raiva, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária de Araçatuba, Araçatuba, SP CNPq: 578281/2008-2 FAPESP: 2008/00976-0

Vinte e seis especies de morcegos ja foram descritas na regiao de Aracatuba, noroeste do Estado de Sao Paulo, incluindo os vampiros Desmodus rotundus (E. Geoffroy, 1810) e Diaemus youngi (Jentink, 1893). Desde 1998 tem sido registrados casos de raiva em morcegos, nesta regiao, com predominância em areas urbanas. No periodo de 1998 a 2007, 4.035 amostras de morcegos foram examinadas para raiva, com 50 casos positivos (1.2%) em nove diferentes especies nao-hematofagas pertencentes as familias Molossidae, Vespertilionidae e Phyllostomidae. O objetivo deste projeto foi pesquisar a presenca do virus raiva em morcegos de diversas especies e de anticorpos contra em morcegos vampiros na regiao de Aracatuba. Um total de 1307 amostras de cerebro de morcegos encaminhadas ao Laboratorio de Raiva e 125 de soros obtidos de morcegos vampiros de quatro abrigos da regiao foram examinadas durante o periodo de Janeiro de 2008 a Julho de 2012. A pesquisa de virus foi feita por meio da imunofluorescencia direta (IFD) e inoculacao intracerebral em camundongos (ICC) e a pesquisa de anticorpos neutralizantes foram determinados pela tecnica de microneutralizacao simplificada (SFIMT) em celulas BHK21. O virus da raiva foi detectado em 22 (1,97%) dos 1117 dos morcegos nao-hematofagos e em nenhum dos 190 morcegos vampiros examinados. Apenas 7% (9/125) dos morcegos vampiros apresentaram titulo de anticorpos acima de 0.5UI/ml, 65% (81/125) tinham titulos baixos (0.10 a 0.5UI/ml) e 28% (35/125) foram negativos. O indice de positividade observado foi de 2,25% o que esta acima do indice medio de 1,3% registrado anteriormente nesta regiao. A alta percentagem de morcegos vampiros com anticorpos neutralizantes para o virus da raiva indica uma exposicao recente ao virus o que confirma que, medidas de vigilância devem ser mantidas para evitar um aumento na incidencia da doenca. SUMMARY Twenty-six species of bats have already been described in Aracatuba, northwestern Sao Paulo, including the vampires Desmodus rotundus (E. Geoffroy, 1810) and Diaemus youngi (Jentink, 1893). Cases of rabies in bats have been recorded in this region, predominantly in urban areas since 1998. In the period from 1998 to 2007, 4,035 samples were examined for rabies, with 50 positive cases (1.2%) in nine different non-hematophagous species belonging to the families Molossidae, Vespertilionidae and Phyllostomidae . The objective of this study was to investigate the presence of both rabies virus in bats of various species and antibodies in vampire bats in Aracatuba. A total of 1,307 brain samples from bats were sent to the Laboratory for Rabies and 125 serum samples of vampire bats from four shelters in the region were examined from January 2008 to July 2012. The virus presence was determined by direct immunofluorescence (DIF) and mouse inoculation (ICC) while neutralizing antibodies were determined by the simplified microneutralization (SFIMT) in BHK21 cells. Rabies virus was detected in 22 (1.97%) out of 1,117 non-hematophagous bats and in none of the 190 vampire bats examined. Only 7% (9/125) of vampire bats had antibody titers above 0.5UI/ml, 65% (81/125) had low titers (0.10 to 0.5UI/ml) and 28% (35/125) were negative. The positivity rate observed was 2.25% which is above the average rate of 1.3% recorded previously in this region. The high percentage of vampire bats with neutralizing antibodies to rabies virus indicates a recent exposure to the virus which confirms that surveillance measures must be in place to avoid an increase in disease incidence.