TITLE:
Rabies Virus Detection in the Common Vampire Bat Desmodus Rotundus, Ceará, Brazil
AUTHORS:
Francisco Bergson Pinheiro Moura, Maria Fátima da Silva Teixeira, Meylling Mayara Linhares Magalhães, Bruno Marques Teixeira, Paulo Eduardo Brandão, Felipe Rodrigues Jorge, Washington Carlos Agostinho, Sueli Akemi Taniwaki Miyagi, Maria Mariza de Lima e Silva, Antonio Robério Soares Vieira, José Cleonardo da Costa Filho
KEYWORDS:
Desmodus Rotundus, Direct Immunofluorescence, Immunological Dynamics, Mouse Inoculation, Rabies
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Veterinary Medicine,
Vol.15 No.8,
August
28,
2025
ABSTRACT: The common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, feeds mainly on the blood of mammals and plays a significant role in the life cycle of rabies; this species wreaks havoc on livestock and can affect other domestic animals, including humans. Owing to its role in transmitting rabies, D. rotundus has been the focus of studies elucidating the epidemiology of the rabies virus. This study aimed to examine the distribution of the rabies virus and understand its immunological dynamics in D. rotundus. One hundred and thirty-four samples were collected from the municipalities of Potiretama, Tauá, and Granja, where cases of rabies in herbivores were confirmed. Only one of the bats diagnosed by Direct Immunofluorescence and Mouse Inoculation tests tested positive by RT-PCR. It seems that D. rotundus can limit immune responses, thereby preventing rabies immunopathology.