RABIES IN INSECTIVOROUS BAT IN THE CITY OF BUENOS AIRES

GURY DOHMEN, F. E.; LENCINAS, O. E.; MENA SEGURA, C. A.; CARABALLO, D. A.; PRESTERA, N. E.; RISIGLIONE, J. P.; BELTRÁN, F. J.

Buenos Aires

Congreso; XXIX Rabies in the Americas; 2018

The first bat tested positive for rabies virus (RABV) at the Instituto de Zoonosis Luis Pasteur (IZLP) was detected in 1965. It was found in the port of Buenos Aires and belonged to the species Lasiurus ega argentinus. After 26 years lacking positive results, in 1991 a specimen of Tadarida brasiliensis from the neighborhood of Barracas was tested positive, this had bitten a girl that was treated at the Hospital Carlos G. Durand. Since this episode, an increasing number of positive cases were found in different bat species frequently linked to contact or bites in pets and/or persons. Early diagnostics were conducted performing the Sellers? staining technique and mouse inoculation tests.Subsequently, Direct Fluorescence Antibody tests, RT-PCR, in vivo suckling mouse assay and cell culture were implemented. In addition, antigenic typing using a monoclonal antibody panel from the CDC (USA) and nucleotide characterization were implemented for strain identification. Between the first detection and June 30th, 2018, 4095 bats from Buenos Aires were tested for rabies, 128 among which were positive (prevalence: 3.12%). A frequency peak was observed during the warmseason, between January and April. In collaboration with the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, the following species were found in the city of Buenos Aires during this period: Eptesicus furinalis, L. blossevillii, L. cinereus, L. ega argentinus, Eumops bonariensis, Molossops temminckii, Molossus molossus and T. brasiliensis. Since 1992 a total of 111 RABV strains, among which 109 were typed as variant 4 (98.2%), linked to T. brasiliensis, one was associated to L. cinereus, and one to L. blossevillii.A single spillover event was detected during this period, corresponding to a cat infected with variant 4, which bit three family members and the veterinary doctor.