Outbreak of aggressions and transmission of rabies in human beings by vampire bats in northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Outbreaks of attacks upon human beings by vampire bats seems to be a common phenomenon in several regions of Latin America, but the occurrence of rabies infection among humans bled by vampires, is relatively low. In the present study, two outbreaks of human rabies transmitted by common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) are described from Bahia State, Northeasthern Brazil, in 1991 and 1992. The first was recorded in Aporá where 308 people were bled by vampire bats and three of these die from this zoonosis. The 2nd outbreak occurred in Conde where only five people were bled by vampires, and two deaths by rabies were registered. Our data suggest that rabies transmitted by bats basically depends on the presence of virus in the vampire bat population and not on the number of humans bled by them. Key-words: Vampire bats. Rabies. Northeastern Brazil.Resumo Surtos de ataques de morcegos hematófagos em seres humanos parecem ser um fenômeno comum em muitas regiões da América Latina, porém, a ocorrência de raiva humana transmitida por morcegos é baixa. No presente estudo, são descritos dois surtos de raiva em seres humanos transmitida pelo vampiro comum (Desmodus rotundus) no Estado da Bahia, nordeste do Brasil, em 1991 e 1992. O primeiro foi registrado em Aporá onde 308 pessoas foram sangradas pelos morcegos e três delas morreram por causa dessa zoonose. O segundo surto ocorreu em Conde, onde apenas cinco pessoas haviam sido atacadas pelos morcegos e duas mortes por raiva foram registradas. Nossos dados sugerem que a raiva transmitida pelos morcegos depende basicamente da presença do vírus na população de morcegos hematófagos e não do número de pessoas agredidas pelos mesmos. Palavras-chaves: Morcegos hematófagos. Raiva. Nordeste do Brasil.

Bat rabies in the north-northwestern regions of the state of São Paulo, Brazil: 1997-2002

“…* Two outbreaks of human rabies transmitted by common vampire bats were also described in Bahia, Northeastern Brazil, in 1991 and 1992. 7 Recently, an outbreak of human rabies transmitted by hematophagous bats was detected in the Brazilian Amazon. 13 The prevalence of rabies infection in insectivorous and frugivorous bats is quite low and the role of these infected animals in initiating wild life epizootics has not been corroborated.…”

Descriptive ecology of bat flies (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea) associated with vampire bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in the cerrado of Central Brazil

“…Bats account for nearly 50% of the total mammalian fauna of the cerrado biome (Aguiar & Machado 2010). This generates a great deal of concern due to their association with rabies, though most rabies cases are caused by just one vampire species, Desmodus rotundus (Gonçalves et al 2002). Of the vampire bat species, D. rotundus is the most common and widespread species in Central and South America.…”

Brotes de rabia humana transmitida por vampiros en los municipios de Bajo y Alto Baudó, departamento del Chocó, Colombia 2004-2005

“…Los primeros han sido relacionados con brotes de la enfermedad en humanos y animales domésticos, principalmente bovinos, mientras que los segundos han sido responsables únicamente de casos aislados de rabia en humanos. La transmisión de la rabia de murciélagos hematófagos a humanos ha sido reportada durante los últimos 80 años en nueve países de Latinoamérica (Trinidad, Guyana, México, Brasil, Bolivia, Argentina, Surinam, Belize, Perú y Colombia) (21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26). El brote de rabia transmitida por murciélagos hematófagos a humanos en la comunidad de Birrinchao, cuenca del río Purricha, municipio de Bajo Baudó, descrito en el presente artículo es el primero de gran magnitud reportado en Colombia.…”