Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis to Prevent Hematophagous Bat-Mediated Rabies Outbreaks in Remote Amazon Communities: Lessons from a Pilot for Public Health Policy.

In 2018, an outbreak of human rabies caused by the hematophagous bat Desmodus rotundus hit the Brazilian Amazon Basin community of Melgaço, Brazil, resulting in the death of 10 people, 9 of them children. The incidence of rabies has been on the rise among populations in conditions of vulnerability in this ecosystem due to human expansion into sylvatic environments and limited access to public health services. To address this issue, in September 2019, a collaborative effort from national, local, and international institutions promoted and executed a pilot for pre-exposure prophylaxis of a population in high-risk areas for hematophagous bat-mediated rabies. This measure is usually only implemented in response to outbreaks. The pilot was conducted in Portel, in a nearby location to the previous outbreak, with the use of fluvial transportation, and 2987 individuals in 411 dwellings were successfully vaccinated. It established a methodology for pre-exposure prophylaxis for populations in conditions of vulnerability, identifying logistics and costs, as well as characterizing the target riverine population regarding risk factors associated with bites by hematophagous bats. This approach offers a proactive measure to prevent future outbreaks and provides valuable insights into how to address the issue of rabies in remote and difficult-to-reach areas.

Appraisal of antivenom production in public laboratories in Latin America during the first semester of 2020: the impact of COVID-19

One of the 4 pillars of the World Health Organization (WHO) strategy for the prevention and control of snake bite envenomings is to ensure safe and effective pharmacotherapeutic treatments [1]. The mainstay in the pharmacotherapy of these envenomings, as well as of envenomings by scorpions and spiders, is the timely administration of safe and effective antivenoms [2,3]. Antivenoms are composed of immunoglobulins, or immunoglobulin fragments, purified from the plasma of animals, usually horses, immunized with venoms. Currently, there is an urgent need to improve antivenom availability, accessibility, and affordability on a global basis, particularly for use in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and Latin America [1]. There is a long tradition in snake, scorpion, spider, and, more recently, caterpillar antivenoms production in Latin America, especially centered in public manufacturing laboratories in Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Costa Rica, and Mexico [4–6]. A network of public laboratories devoted to the production and quality control of antivenoms was established in this region in the last decade [4,5], which has recently led to the creation of the Latin American Network of Public Antivenom Manufacturing Laboratories (RELAPA, Red Latinoamericana de Laboratorios Públicos Productores de Antivenenos) [6]. RELAPA aims at consolidating governance mechanisms within a regional platform for technical cooperation, technology transfer, research, and training for the regional improvement of antivenom availability, under the coordination of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and its office Centro Panamericano de Fiebre Aftosa (Panaftosa). As part of the ongoing activities of RELAPA, a survey was sent by PAHO/Panaftosa to the institutions integrating this network to assess the situation of antivenom manufacture in these laboratories during the period January 2020 to July 2020, with the goal of analyzing in which ways has antivenom production been affected in this extraordinary year, especially regarding the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has profoundly stricken Latin America [7]. The survey was sent to the directors of the institutions of RELAPA (the list of institutions is detailed in Fan and colleagues [6]). The survey included the following aspects: (a) What was the demand and the production of antivenoms (including snake, scorpion, spider, and caterpillar antivenoms) during the period January 2020 to July 2020? (b) What was the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in (i) the number of professional and technical staff working to manufacture antivenom, (ii) acquisitions of consumables and laboratory equipment, (iii) overall budget devoted to antivenom manufacture, and (iv) attention to the COVID-19 crisis in terms of development of therapeutic equine preparations against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), preparation of diagnostic reagents, quality control activities, or assignment of staff to attend other pandemic issues? (c) Which are the priorities of the laboratories in the near future regarding regional cooperation in the field of antivenom manufacture and quality control? The survey was carried out between October 1 and October 19, 2020, using the platform Qualtrics (Qualtrics XM Platform, Seattle, Washington, United States of America).

Defining New Pathways to Manage the Ongoing Emergence of Bat Rabies in Latin America.

Rabies transmitted by common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) has been known since the early 1900s but continues to expand geographically and in the range of species and environments affected. In this review, we present current knowledge of the epidemiology and management of rabies in D. rotundus and argue that it can be reasonably considered an emerging public health threat. We identify knowledge gaps related to the landscape determinants of the bat reservoir, reduction in bites on humans and livestock, and social barriers to prevention. We discuss how new technologies including autonomously-spreading vaccines and reproductive suppressants targeting bats might manage both rabies and undesirable growth of D. rotundus populations. Finally, we highlight widespread under-reporting of human and animal mortality and the scarcity of studies that quantify the efficacy of control measures such as bat culling. Collaborations between researchers and managers will be crucial to implement the next generation of rabies management in Latin America.

Situación de los laboratorios públicos productores de antivenenos en América Latina / Situation of public laboratories manufacturing antivenoms in Latin America

The situation of public laboratories manufacturing antivenoms in Latin America was analyzed, based on the results of a workshop coordinated by the Pan American Foot-and-Mouth Disease Center (PANAFTOSA) of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Nine countries in the region have 12 public laboratories that produce and distribute antivenoms for use against different venomous animals. The situation of each laboratory was discussed, and an analysis was conducted of the current scenario, which is characterized by increasing regulatory requirements that vary in terms of infrastructure and production capacity. The authors identified a need to organize regional cooperation processes to improve the availability of antivenoms, including: research and development projects to improve processes and technologies; studies of the capacity of antivenoms to neutralize different poisons; and technical training programs for professionals and technical personnel. In the current context, in which the World Health Organization has prepared a global strategy for the prevention and control of snakebite envenoming, PANAFTOSA has taken on coordination of this initiative in the Americas. Improving the availability of antivenoms is the priority. As a result of the workshop, the RELAPA network was created, bringing together public laboratories that manufacture antivenoms in Latin America, in order to strengthen these laboratories and increase the availability of, and access to effective and safe antivenoms throughout Latin America.

Situación de los laboratorios públicos productores de antivenenos en América Latina / Situation of public laboratories manufacturing antivenoms in Latin America

The situation of public laboratories manufacturing antivenoms in Latin America was analyzed, based on the results of a workshop coordinated by the Pan American Foot-and-Mouth Disease Center (PANAFTOSA) of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Nine countries in the region have 12 public laboratories that produce and distribute antivenoms for use against different venomous animals. The situation of each laboratory was discussed, and an analysis was conducted of the current scenario, which is characterized by increasing regulatory requirements that vary in terms of infrastructure and production capacity. The authors identified a need to organize regional cooperation processes to improve the availability of antivenoms, including: research and development projects to improve processes and technologies; studies of the capacity of antivenoms to neutralize different poisons; and technical training programs for professionals and technical personnel. In the current context, in which the World Health Organization has prepared a global strategy for the prevention and control of snakebite envenoming, PANAFTOSA has taken on coordination of this initiative in the Americas. Improving the availability of antivenoms is the priority. As a result of the workshop, the RELAPA network was created, bringing together public laboratories that manufacture antivenoms in Latin America, in order to strengthen these laboratories and increase the availability of, and access to effective and safe antivenoms throughout Latin America.