Research article

Molecular and geographic analyses of vampire bat-transmitted cattle rabies in central Brazil

Yuki Kobayashi^1* , Go Sato^1* , Nobuyuki Mochizuki^1* , Shinji Hirano^1* , Takuya Itou¹ , Adolorata AB Carvalho^2* , Avelino Albas^3* , Hamilton P Santos^4* , Fumio H Ito^5* and Takeo Sakai^1*

¹  Nihon University Veterinary Research Center, 1866 Kameino, Fujisawa, Kanagawa 252-8510, Japan

²  Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, UNESP, Via de Acesso Prof. Paulo Donato Castellane, Jaboticabal, São Paulo 14884-900, Brazil

³  São Paulo State Agency of Agribusiness (APTA) – São Paulo State Secretary of Agriculture and Supply, Rod. Raposo Tavares, Km 563, Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil

⁴  School of Veterinary Medicine, Maranhão State University, Campus I, Cidade Universitária Paulo VI, Tirirical, Caixa Postal, 09 São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil

⁵  Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Zootechny, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Dr. Orlando Marques de Paiva, 87, Cidade Universtiátria, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil

author email corresponding author email* Contributed equally

BMC Veterinary Research 2008, 4:44doi:10.1186/1746-6148-4-44

Published:	5 November 2008

Abstract

Background

Vampire bats are important rabies virus vectors, causing critical problems in both the livestock industry and public health sector in Latin America. In order to assess the epidemiological characteristics of vampire bat-transmitted rabies, the authors conducted phylogenetic and geographical analyses using sequence data of a large number of cattle rabies isolates collected from a wide geographical area in Brazil.

Methods

Partial nucleoprotein genes of rabies viruses isolated from 666 cattle and 18 vampire bats between 1987 and 2006 were sequenced and used for phylogenetic analysis. The genetic variants were plotted on topographical maps of Brazil.

Results

In this study, 593 samples consisting of 24 genetic variants were analyzed. Regional localization of variants was observed, with the distribution of several variants found to be delimited by mountain ranges which served as geographic boundaries. The geographical distributions of vampire-bat and cattle isolates that were classified as the identical phylogenetic group were found to overlap with high certainty. Most of the samples analyzed in this study were isolated from adjacent areas linked by rivers.

Conclusion

This study revealed the existence of several dozen regional variants associated with vampire bats in Brazil, with the distribution patterns of these variants found to be affected by mountain ranges and rivers. These results suggest that epidemiological characteristics of vampire bat-related rabies appear to be associated with the topographical and geographical characteristics of areas where cattle are maintained, and the factors affecting vampire bat ecology.