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Insights into Australian bat lyssavirus in insectivorous bats of Western Australia
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Insights into Australian bat lyssavirus in insectivorous bats of Western Australia

D. Prada, V. Boyd, M. Baker, B. Jackson and M. O’Dea
Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, Vol.4(1), Article 46
2019
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Abstract

Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) is a known causative agent of neurological disease in bats, humans and horses. It has been isolated from four species of pteropid bats and a single microbat species (Saccolaimus flaviventris). To date, ABLV surveillance has primarily been passive, with active surveillance concentrating on eastern and northern Australian bat populations. As a result, there is scant regional ABLV information for large areas of the country. To better inform the local public health risks associated with human-bat interactions, this study describes the lyssavirus prevalence in microbat communities in the South West Botanical Province of Western Australia. We used targeted real-time PCR assays to detect viral RNA shedding in 839 oral swabs representing 12 species of microbats, which were sampled over two consecutive summers spanning 2016–2018. Additionally, we tested 649 serum samples via Luminex® assay for reactivity to lyssavirus antigens. Active lyssavirus infection was not detected in any of the samples. Lyssavirus antibodies were detected in 19 individuals across six species, with a crude prevalence of 2.9% (95% CI: 1.8–4.5%) over the two years. In addition, we present the first records of lyssavirus exposure in two Nyctophilus species, and Falsistrellus mackenziei.

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Citation topics
1 Clinical & Life Sciences
1.104 Virology - General
1.104.1816 Rabies
Web Of Science research areas
Infectious Diseases
Parasitology
Tropical Medicine
ESI research areas
Clinical Medicine
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