Bat rabies in Guatemala

Abstract

Rabies in bats is considered enzootic throughout the New World, but few comparative data are available for most countries in the region. As part of a larger pathogen detection program, enhanced bat rabies surveillance was conducted in Guatemala, between 2009 and 2011. A total of 672 bats of 31 species were sampled and tested for rabies. The prevalence of rabies virus (RABV) detection among all collected bats was low (0.3%). Viral antigens were detected and infectious virus was isolated from the brains of two common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus). RABV was also isolated from oral swabs, lungs and kidneys of both bats, whereas viral RNA was detected in all of the tissues examined by hemi-nested RT-PCR except for the liver of one bat. Sequencing of the nucleoprotein gene showed that both viruses were 100% identical, whereas sequencing of the glycoprotein gene revealed one non-synonymous substitution (302T,S). The two vampire bat RABV isolates in this study were phylogenetically related to viruses associated with vampire bats in the eastern states of Mexico and El Salvador. Additionally, 7% of sera collected from 398 bats demonstrated RABV neutralizing antibody. The proportion of seropositive bats varied significantly across trophic guilds, suggestive of complex intraspecific compartmentalization of RABV perpetuation.

Figure 1. Map of selected field sites, Guatemala 2009–2011.

(A) Yellow circles indicate the location 19 sites where bats were tested for RABV antigen and circle size is proportional to the number of bats collected. (B) Red circles indicate the location of ten sites where sera were available for rVNA testing and circle size is proportion to the level of rVNA seroprevalence among tested bats. The location of two rabies infected vampire bats (D. rotundus) is indicated by green stars.

Figure 2. Maximum clade credibility tree of rabies viruses based on complete nucleoprotein (N) gene sequences.

Posterior probabilities are shown for key nodes. Mexico dog RABV was used as an out-group. Novel sequences generated from the CNS material of two rabid vampire bats in this study are shown in red.