Hematologic profile of hematophagous Desmodus rotundus bats before and after experimental infection with rabies virus.

INTRODUCTION: Hematophagous Desmodus rotundus bats play an important role in the rabies lifecycle. This study describes the hematological profile of these bats before and after experimental infection with rabies virus. METHODS: Cells counts were performed in a Neubauer chamber. RESULTS: The average values of erythrocytes and leucocytes counts in blood before experimental infections were 9.97 × 10(6)mm3 and 4.80 × 10(3)mm3, respectively. Neutrophils represented 69.9% of white blood cells and the lymphocytes represented 26.9%. Following the experimental infections, the average numbers of erythrocytes and leucocytes was 9.43 × 106mm3 and 3.98 × 10(3)mm3, respectively. Neutrophils represented 40% of white blood cells and the lymphocytes represented 59%. CONCLUSIONS: The hematological profile given in this study can serve as reference values for D. rotundus bats.

Experimental infection of the bat tick Carios fonsecai (Acari: Ixodidae) with the rabies virus.

INTRODUCTION: This study assessed the viability of the rabies virus in the argasid tick Carios fonsecai following experimental infection. METHODS: The mouse inoculation test (MIT), fluorescent antibody test (FAT) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were used. The rabies virus was administered to ticks via the intra-coelomic route, and the ticks were sacrificed at different time points. RESULTS: The inoculated ticks were negative for rabies according to the MIT. Ticks macerated with rabies virus were positive according to the MIT and FAT. All of the tick lots tested by PCR were positive. CONCLUSIONS The rabies virus became unviable shortly after its inoculation into tick bodies. Ticks are not likely to play an important role in the epidemiology of rabies.

Detection of hantavirus in bats from remaining rain forest in São Paulo, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The significant biodiversity found in Brazil is a potential for the emergence of new zoonoses. Study in some places of the world suggest of the presence to hantavirus in tissues of bats. Researches of hantavirus in wildlife, out rodents, are very scarce in Brazil. Therefore we decided to investigate in tissues of different species of wild animals captured in the same region where rodents were detected positive for this virus. The present work analyzed ninety-one animals (64 rodents, 19 opossums, and 8 bats) from a region of the Atlantic forest in Biritiba Mirin City, São Paulo State, Brazil. Lungs and kidneys were used for RNA extraction. FINDINGS: The samples were screened for evidence of hantavirus infection by SYBR-Green-based real-time RT-PCR. Sixteen samples positive were encountered among the wild rodents, bats, and opossums. The detection of hantavirus in the lungs and kidneys of three marsupial species (Micoureus paraguayanus, Monodelphis ihering, and Didelphis aurita) as well in two species of bats (Diphylla ecaudata and Anoura caudifer) is of significance because these new hosts could represent an important virus reservoirs. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of nucleotide sequences of the partial S segment revealed that these genes were more related to the Araraquara virus strains. This work reinforces the importance of studying hantavirus in different animal species and performing a continued surveillance before this virus spreads in new hosts and generated serious problems in public health.