Rabies Transmitted by Bats in British Guiana

Nehaul, B. B. G.

doi:10.4269/ajtmh.1955.4.550

Cited by 17 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…In Portel and Viseu, all clinical cases were characterized as ascendant paralytic rabies. Patients exhibited paresis, paralysis, dyspnea and difficulties of speech, soreness or lethargy, photophobia, aerophobia, hydrophobia, and coma, symptoms similar to those previously reported in other vampire bat–transmitted rabies outbreaks ( 1 , 5 , 7 , 21 – 24 ). The topology of the neighbor-joining tree, shown in Figure 2, grouped all rabies strains according to each respective host and variant, which validates the sequenced region and the tree-building method; in addition, the nucleotide identity among AgV3 strains and the human strains studied here (97%) match the thresholds described for different variant-host associations ( 25 ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Bat-transmitted Human Rabies Outbreaks, Brazilian Amazon

Rosa

Kotait²,

Barbosa

et al. 2006

Emerg. Infect. Dis.

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We describe 2 bat-transmitted outbreaks in remote, rural areas of Portel and Viseu Municipalities, Pará State, northern Brazil. Central nervous system specimens were taken after patients' deaths and underwent immunofluorescent assay and histopathologic examination for rabies antigens; also, specimens were injected intracerebrally into suckling mice in an attempt to isolate the virus. Strains obtained were antigenically and genetically characterized. Twenty-one persons died due to paralytic rabies in the 2 municipalities. Ten rabies virus strains were isolated from human specimens; 2 other cases were diagnosed by histopathologic examination. Isolates were antigenically characterized as Desmodus rotundus variant 3 (AgV3). DNA sequencing of 6 strains showed that they were genetically close to D. rotundus–related strains isolated in Brazil. The genetic results were similar to those obtained by using monoclonal antibodies and support the conclusion that the isolates studied belong to the same rabies cycle, the virus variants found in the vampire bat D. rotundus.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 83%

Bat-transmitted Human Rabies Outbreaks, Brazilian Amazon

Rosa

Kotait²,

Barbosa

et al. 2006

Emerg. Infect. Dis.

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“…Thus, although 80% of non-endemic localities reportedly had no specific measures aimed at achieving a ‘rabies-free’ status, regulations and policies instigated during colonial times might account for the historical absence of the disease. In contrast, vampire-bat rabies present since pre-Colombian times [ 9 ], as illustrated in this survey, is still enzootic in Caribbean countries from which it was reported, possibly due to increased awareness, after the Trinidadian epidemic in the 1930s, i.e., Guyana, Suriname, Belize, and French Guiana [ 15 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Although the common vampire bat ( Desmodus rotundus ) is the main bat species implicated in RABV transmission in the Caribbean [ 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 ], given the occurrence of cross-species transmission events and RABV isolations associated with non-hematophagous bats [ 22 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 ], surveillance of these species should also be considered.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Early reports indicate the presence of vampire bats that attacked Spanish colonists and likely fed on wildlife before the introduction of domestic livestock [ 14 , 15 ], which provided an abundant, readily-available resource for the expansion of vampire bat populations [ 16 ]. However, vampire bat-transmitted rabies in humans was only diagnosed during the beginning of the 20th century on the island of Trinidad [ 17 ], with later reports from countries in Central and South America [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. With the concomitant decline in canine-transmitted rabies towards the end of the 20th century, these bats are now recognized as a major reservoir for RABV [ 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rabies in the Caribbean: A Situational Analysis and Historic Review

et al. 2018

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Rabies virus is the only Lyssavirus species found in the Americas. In discussions about rabies, Latin America and the Caribbean are often grouped together. Our study aimed to independently analyse the rabies situation in the Caribbean and examine changes in rabies spatiotemporal epidemiology. A questionnaire was administered to the 33 member countries and territories of the Caribbean Animal Health Network (CaribVET) to collect current data, which was collated with a literature review. Rabies was endemic in ten Caribbean localities, with the dog, mongoose, and vampire bat identified as enzootic reservoirs. The majority of animal cases occurred in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti, while human cases only consistently occurred in the latter two areas. Rabies vaccination was conducted for high-risk animal populations with variable coverage, and rabies diagnostic capacities varied widely throughout the region. Illegal importation and natural migration of animals may facilitate the introduction of rabies virus variants into virus-naïve areas. Passive surveillance, together with enhanced methods and serological screening techniques, can therefore be of value. The insularity of the Caribbean makes it ideal for conducting pilot studies on reservoir host population management. Best practice guidelines developed for these reservoir hosts can be individually modified to the epidemiological status and available resources within each locality.

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“…As such, clinicians may be more likely to submit cases for testing that resemble their preconceived notion of the more common furious form of human rabies and less likely to consider rabies with the more rare paralytic form. A connection between the paralytic form of rabies and transmission by vampire bats has been noted in several human rabies outbreaks (Nehaul, 1955;Pawan, 1959;Verlinde, 1975;da Rosa, 2006). However, vampire bats do not cause exclusively paralytic disease as the encephalitic form has been described with a vampire bat human rabies outbreak in Peru (Lopez, 1992).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human Rabies Epidemiology and Diagnosis

Petersen¹,

Rupprecht²

2011

Non-Flavivirus Encephalitis

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Non-Flavivirus Encephalitis 248 provides the patient with the opportunity for treatment and possible survival. Insights gained from each attempt at treatment further our understanding of the disease and add to the body of knowledge that can be applied to future cases. When rabies is ruled out, efforts can be focused on identifying more treatable causes of encephalitis. With these goals in mind, this review will describe the epidemiology of human rabies, examine the signs and symptoms of disease, and review the laboratory diagnostic testing and results for all reported human rabies cases in the United States between 1960 and 2010. 2. Methods 2.1 Case definition and data sources This review includes all cases of human rabies reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that occurred within the United States and its territories between the years 1960-2010. These cases include both indigenous cases occurring in United States nationals as well as imported cases in foreign nationals diagnosed and treated within the United States and it territories. All cases were confirmed using standard diagnostic laboratory tests performed by CDC or by a state laboratory and were reported by health authorities as part of ongoing national surveillance. The clinical and laboratory findings were taken from CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Reports, published journal articles, and unpublished CDC notes. In addition, this review contains clinical data from patients with suspected rabies submitted to the CDC for laboratory diagnostic testing between the years 2007-2010 for whom rabies was subsequently ruled out (non-rabies cases). 2.2 Variable definitions Onset of illness was defined as either the first day of reported symptoms attributable to rabies or, when this date was unknown, the date when medical care was first sought prior to the confirmation of rabies. Signs and symptoms attributable to rabies included aerophobia, hydrophobia, paresthesia or localized pain, priapism or spontaneous ejaculation, dysphagia, localized weakness, fever, muscle spasm, hypersalivation, anxiety, hallucinations, autonomic instability, agitation or combativeness, nausea or vomiting, ataxia, anorexia, insomnia, seizures, confusion or delirium, malaise or fatigue, and headache. When a bite from a known species, laboratory RABV exposure, or transplantation of infected organs or tissue was reported the species of biting animal or type of exposure and the location of the exposure incident are indicated in the exposure history. Probable exposures where no known bite occurred but physical contact with an animal or close proximity to an animal was reported are also indicated. All other exposures were defined as "unknown." The RABV variant determined by antigenic or molecular typing also provides evidence of the likely source of infection and is particularly useful when no exposure history is known. The type of case was defined as indigenous if the bite incident occurred in the United States or its territories or if the RABV variant identified matched...

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Rabies Transmitted by Bats in British Guiana

Cited by 17 publications

References 0 publications

Bat-transmitted Human Rabies Outbreaks, Brazilian Amazon

Bat-transmitted Human Rabies Outbreaks, Brazilian Amazon

Rabies in the Caribbean: A Situational Analysis and Historic Review

Human Rabies Epidemiology and Diagnosis

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