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Rabies in Bats (Chiroptera, Mammalia) in Brazil: Prevalence and Potential Risk Factors Based on Twenty Years of Research in the Northwestern Region of São Paulo, Brazil

Authors :
Ana Beatriz Garcia
Cristiano de Carvalho
Daiene Casagrande
Mirelle Andrea de Carvalho Picinato
Wagner Andre Pedro
Márcia Marinho
Luzia Helena Queiroz
Source :
Veterinary Sciences, Vol 10, Iss 1, p 34 (2023)
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2023.

Abstract

The number of rabies cases in bats has increased recently in Brazil and in the state of São Paulo, representing a new epidemiological scenario for this zoonosis. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of rabies in bats according to food habits, taxonomic classification, sex and season of the year to identify possible risk factors for rabies occurrence in bats. A retrospective analysis of 6389 records of bat samples, from different municipalities of São Paulo, submitted to rabies diagnosis and taxonomic identification was carried out at the Rabies Diagnostic and Chiroptera Laboratories of Unesp Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil, from 1998 to 2017. Seventy-six (1.1%) positive rabies cases were detected in bats from ten species and seven genera of three families. The number of rabies-positive cases was higher in the dry season, with a significant association. The prevalence was higher in the Vespertilionidae family (37), especially Myotis nigricans (19) and Eptesicus furinalis (14). Frugivorous bats had a greater association with positivity for rabies, whereas the variable “sex” had no association. We recommend that the surveillance and control of rabies should be undertaken primarily during the dry season, especially in the Vespertilionidae family species and other species with a frugivorous food habit.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
23067381
Volume :
10
Issue :
1
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Veterinary Sciences
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.258e4860af2c46ecb97e44f7736b4593
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10010034