Publication details
BAT LYSSAVIRUS SEROPREVALENCE IN SELECTED EUROPEAN BAT POPULATIONS
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2018 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | Bats are recognized to be the natural reservoirs of a large variety of zoonotic viruses, which can cross species barriers to infect humans and other domestic or wild animals. They have a great dispersal capacity and the migratory habits of some species provide a good opportunity for pathogens to spread long distances [1]. Derived ancient origins for certain zoonotic viruses in bats, such as Lyssavirus, suggest a long history of coevolution and cospeciation [2, 3]. Four different Lyssaviruses were detected in European bat species: European Bat Lyssavirus type 1 and 2, Bokeloh Bat Lyssavirus and West Caucasian Bat Virus [4] and one is hypothetical expected i.e. Lleida bat Virus. Lyssavirus infection does not need to be lethal for bats [5]. High resistance of bats is most probably related to a strong antiviral response with high interferon activity [6]. The antibodies detection indicates the former bat-virus contact and the virus circulation in bat population. That enables us to test serological prevalence in selected bat populations from the Czech Republic, Poland, Bulgaria and Slovenia. During years 2014 and 2018 we immunologically tested 760 blood samples collected from 13 bat species at localities with unknown bat lyssaviruses infection situation. Positive samples were collected in the Czech Republic (Malá Morávka in April 2014 and Poděbrady in December 2015) and in Poland (Nietoperek in March 2016). Our data show low prevalence (less than 1%) of seropositivity in bat populations. The risk of Lyssavirus infection for wild bat populations is most probably low at localities out of epicenters. European bats living in relatively small colonies [7] are able to survive the infection due to natural high resistance or die without infecting another individual. |