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Briceño-Loaiza C, Fernández-Sanhueza B, Benavides-Silva C, Jimenez JY, Rubio AV, Ábalos P, Alegría-Morán RA. Spatial clusters, temporal behavior, and risk factors analysis of rabies in livestock in Ecuador. Prev Vet Med 2024; 226:106188. [PMID: 38513566 DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Rabies, a globally distributed and highly lethal zoonotic neglected tropical disease, has a significant impact in South America. In Ecuador, animal rabies cases are primarily linked to livestock, and hematophagous bats play a crucial role in disease transmission. This study aims to identify temporal trends, spatial patterns, and risk factors for animal rabies in Ecuador between 2014 and 2019. Epidemiological survey reports from the official Animal Rabies Surveillance Program of the Phyto and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control Agency of Ecuador (AGROCALIDAD) were used. The Animal Rabies Surveillance Program from AGROCALIDAD consists of an official passive surveillance program that receives reports from farmers or individuals (both trained or untrained) who have observed animals with neurological clinical signs and lesions compatible with bat bites, or who have seen or captured bats on their farms or houses. Once this report is made, AGROCALIDAD personnel is sent for field inspection, having to confirm the suspicion of rabies based on farm conditions and compatibility of signs. AGROCALIDAD personnel collect samples from all suspicious animals, which are further processed and analyzed using the Direct Fluorescent Antibody (DFA) test for rabies confirmatory diagnosis. In this case, study data comprised 846 bovine farms (with intra-farm sample sizes ranging from 1 to 16 samples) located in different ecoregions of Ecuador; out of these, 397 (46.93%) farms tested positive for animal rabies, revealing six statistically significant spatial clusters. Among these clusters, three high-risk areas were identified in the southeast of Ecuador. Seasonality was confirmed by the Ljung-Box test for both the number of cases (p < 0.001) and the positivity rate (p < 0.001). The Pacific Coastal lowlands and Sierra regions showed a lower risk of positivity compared to Amazonia (OR = 0.529; 95% CI = 0.318 - 0.883; p = 0.015 and OR = 0.633; 95% CI = 0.410 - 0.977; p = 0.039, respectively). The breeding of non-bovine animal species demonstrated a lower risk of positivity to animal rabies when compared to bovine (OR = 0.145; 95% CI = 0.062 - 0.339; p < 0.001). Similarly, older animals exhibited a lower risk (OR = 0.974; 95% CI = 0.967 - 0.981; p < 0.001). Rainfall during the rainy season was also found to decrease the risk of positivity to animal rabies (OR = 0.996; 95% CI = 0.995 - 0.998; p < 0.001). This study underscores the significance of strengthening the national surveillance program for the prevention and control of animal rabies in Ecuador and other countries facing similar epidemiological, social, and geographical circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- César Briceño-Loaiza
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Agencia de Regulación y Control Fito y Zoosanitario (AGROCALIDAD), Ecuador; Carrera de Agroecología, Instituto Superior Tecnológico Juan Montalvo, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Bastián Fernández-Sanhueza
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Recursos Naturales y Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Santo Tomás, Santiago, Chile
| | - César Benavides-Silva
- Facultad de Historia, Geografía y Ciencia Política, Instituto de Geografía, Pontificia Universidad Católica, Chile; Centro de Investigaciones Territoriales, Universidad Nacional de Loja, Ecuador
| | - José Yaguana Jimenez
- Carrera de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad Agropecuaria y de Recursos Naturales Renovables, Universidad Nacional de Loja, Ecuador
| | - André V Rubio
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pedro Ábalos
- Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias y Pecuarias, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Raúl A Alegría-Morán
- Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Recursos Naturales y Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Santo Tomás, Santiago, Chile.
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Neves JMM, Belo VS, Catita CMS, de Oliveira BFA, Horta MAP. Modeling of Human Rabies Cases in Brazil in Different Future Global Warming Scenarios. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:212. [PMID: 38397701 PMCID: PMC10888213 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21020212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Bat species have been observed to have the potential to expand their distribution in response to climate change, thereby influencing shifts in the spatial distribution and population dynamics of human rabies cases. In this study, we applied an ensemble niche modeling approach to project climatic suitability under different future global warming scenarios for human rabies cases in Brazil, and assessed the impact on the probability of emergence of new cases. We obtained notification records of human rabies cases in all Brazilian cities from January 2001 to August 2023, as reported by the State and Municipal Health Departments. The current and future climate data were sourced from a digital repository on the WorldClim website. The future bioclimatic variables provided were downscaled climate projections from CMIP6 (a global model ensemble) and extracted from the regionalized climate model HadGEM3-GC31-LL for three future socioeconomic scenarios over four periods (2021-2100). Seven statistical algorithms (MAXENT, MARS, RF, FDA, CTA, GAM, and GLM) were selected for modeling human rabies. Temperature seasonality was the bioclimatic variable with the highest relative contribution to both current and future consensus models. Future scenario modeling for human rabies indicated a trend of changes in the areas of occurrence, maintaining the current pace of global warming, population growth, socioeconomic instability, and the loss of natural areas. In Brazil, there are areas with a higher likelihood of climatic factors contributing to the emergence of cases. When assessing future scenarios, a change in the local climatic suitability is observed that may lead to a reduction or increase in cases, depending on the region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vinicius Silva Belo
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Federal University of São João del-Rei, Divinopolis 36307-352, Brazil;
| | - Cristina Maria Souza Catita
- Department of Geographic Engineering, Geophysics and Energy, University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1649-004, Portugal;
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Júnior DST. High risk of bat bites in an indigenous village in Brazil: Warning of the re-emergence of rabies among the Maxakali People. Acta Trop 2024; 249:107073. [PMID: 37956818 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.107073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Bat-mediated human rabies is a viral zoonotic disease that poses a serious threat to the public health of traditional peoples, especially indigenous populations that maintain primitive cultural and social habits, such as the Maxakali ethnic group, located in the southeastern region of Brazil. The sociocultural habit of this population led to the emergence between April and May 2022 of the viral spillover of rabies transmitted by bats, which decimated the lives of four children from this population who maintained contact with this animal as a recreational practice. Because the vampire bats Desmodus rotundus have exceptional ecology and social characteristics that can have important effects on the dynamics of viral dispersion in this indigenous population, I present the dynamics of contact between native children and the bat and the meaning of this relationship, which involves ritualistic and recreational significance. As important as knowing the reasons for this practice is discussing some intrinsic and extrinsic factors that imply risks that intensify the vulnerability of this population to the transmission of the rabies virus at any time. In view of this, I warn of the need to adopt efficient strategies to mitigate the risks of a new emergency in this region. Although emergency containment measures were carried out during the critical period of the outbreak, such animal and environmental control actions must become routine programmatic and structuring interventions. Essential for rabies surveillance in this population is to develop culturally adapted interethnic health education campaigns to guarantee the accessibility of the Maxakali indigenous people to the content taught, so that any attempt at domestication, captivity and recreational practices with bats of any species is discouraged, thus avoiding a possible re-emergence of this anthropozoonosis that has impacted not only the epidemiological scenario in this region, but throughout Brazil, and also throughout Latin America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilceu Silveira Tolentino Júnior
- Federal University of the Jequitinhonha and Mucuri Valleys, Postgraduate Program in Tecnhology, Environment and Society, Teófilo Otoni, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Ferreira-Machado E, Conselheiro JA, Bernardes da Silva BE, Matsumoto PSS, Castagna CL, Nitsche A, de Lima CS, Presotto D, Nunes da Silva MCR, Ervedosa TB, Navas-Suárez PE, de Jesus ÍP, de Carvalho J, Ressio RA, dos Santos Cirqueira C, Barone GT, del Castillo Saad L, Brandão PE, Catão-Dias JL, Guerra JM, de Azevedo Fernandes NCC. Naturally Acquired Rabies in White-Eared Opossum, Brazil. Emerg Infect Dis 2023; 29:2541-2545. [PMID: 37987590 PMCID: PMC10683831 DOI: 10.3201/eid2912.230373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Opossums are considered resistant to rabies. Nonhematophagous bats are reservoirs of rabies in urban areas of South America. We analyzed bats and opossums tested for rabies during 2021 in a highly urbanized city in Brazil to understand spillover in an urban setting. Wildlife surveillance is necessary to prevent rabies in humans and domestic animals.
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Kmetiuk LB, Maiorka PC, Beck AM, Biondo AW. "Dying alone and being eaten": dog scavenging on the remains of an elderly animal hoarder-a case report. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1161935. [PMID: 37706076 PMCID: PMC10495567 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1161935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal hoarding and human consumption by dogs have been important but often understudied aspects of the human-animal bond that can be addressed within a One Health framework. No scientific report has focused on dog scavenging on animal hoarders to date, despite isolated reports of dog scavenging on human remains, mostly due to starvation. The phenomenon has been approached as a confounding factor for human forensics. In 2014, the Animal Protection Department of Curitiba City was called to rescue and handle ten small dogs which had scavenged for a week on the human remains of their elderly owner, a potential animal hoarder. At inspection, three dead dogs in early putrefaction were also found in the household. Human autopsy revealed body putrefaction and lack of soft organs. Along with the dental arch, DNA testing was performed on the remains for official deceased identification. Due to the potential public health risks of aggression toward frail human beings and for the control of zoonotic diseases, all ten dogs were euthanized. Subsequent investigations by the crime scene police, homicide police, and autopsy services were unable to establish or rule out natural death, criminal or suicidal poisoning, zoonotic disease (rabies), fatal dog attack, or fatal accidental trauma. A general protocol has been proposed for future approaches to dog scavenging and suspicious killing of animal hoarders, as well an assessment for the potential adoption or euthanasia of animals owned by hoarders in these circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Bach Kmetiuk
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Paulo César Maiorka
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Alan M. Beck
- Center for the Human-Animal Bond, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Alexander Welker Biondo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
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de Lima JS, Mori E, Kmetiuk LB, Biondo LM, Brandão PE, Biondo AW, Maiorka PC. Cat rabies in Brazil: a growing One Health concern. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1210203. [PMID: 37538269 PMCID: PMC10394693 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1210203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
This review of human and cat rabies from 1986 to 2022 has shown mostly AgV3 variant in human cases with 29/45 (64.4%) reports including 23 from bats, four from cats, and two from unknown species, followed by 8/45 (17.8%) of AgV2 variant (all from dogs), 4/45 from marmoset variant (all from Callithrix jacchus), 2/45 samples compatible with wild canid variant (both from Cerdocyon thous), and one/45 of AgV1 variant from a domestic dog. Only one sample of human rabies was not typified, related to bat aggression. In addition, surveillance conducted in the state of São Paulo confirmed the presence of rabies in 7/23,839 cats (0.031%) and 3/106,637 dogs (0.003%) between 2003 and 2013, with a 10:1 overall cat-to-dog positivity ratio. This 10-fold higher infection rate for cat rabies may be explained by cats' hunting habits and predation. In addition, after 28 years of rabies-free status, a new cat rabies case was reported in the city of São Paulo in 2011. The rabid cat lived, along with other pets, in a household located near the largest downtown city park, whose owners presented animal hoarding behavior. Thus, animal hoarders and rescuers, public health agents, animal health professionals, and the general population with contact need to be aware of the risk of bat-borne rabies followed by spillover from cats to humans. In conclusion, cat rabies cases are becoming increasingly important in Brazil. This poses a One Health concern, given the overlapping of human, bat and cat populations within the same predisposed environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Santos de Lima
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Enio Mori
- Pasteur Institute, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Louise Bach Kmetiuk
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Leandro Meneguelli Biondo
- National Institute of the Atlantic Forest (INMA), Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Santa Teresa, Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Paulo Eduardo Brandão
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Paulo César Maiorka
- Department of Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Role of Brazilian bats in the epidemiological cycle of potentially zoonotic pathogens. Microb Pathog 2023; 177:106032. [PMID: 36804526 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2023.106032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
Bats (Chiroptera) are flying mammals of great biodiversity and habits. These characteristics contribute for them being natural reservoirs and part of the epidemiological cycle of several potentially zoonotic pathogens, such as viruses, protozoa, fungi and bacteria. Brazil hosts approximately 15% of the world's bat diversity, with 181 distinct species, 68 genera and 9 families. About 60% of infectious diseases in humans are of zoonotic origin and, in the last decades, the detection of zoonotic pathogens in bats and their environment has been reported, such as Rabies virus (RABV) and Histoplasma capsulatum. Thus, the aim of this work was to review the reports of zoonotic pathogens associated with bats in Brazil in the past ten years. We reviewed the main pathogenic microorganisms described and the species of bats most frequently involved in the epidemiological cycles of these zoonotic agents. The obtained data show an upward trend in the detection of zoonotic pathogens in Brazilian bats, such as RABV, Bartonella sp., Histoplasma capsulatum and Leishmania spp., with emphasis on the bat species Artibeus lituratus, Carollia perspicillata, Desmodus rotundus and Molossus molossus. These findings highlight the importance of monitoring bat-associated microrganisms to early identify pathogens that may threaten bat populations, including potentially zoonotic microrganisms, emphasizing the importance of the One Health approach to prevent and mitigate the risks of the emergence of zoonotic diseases.
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Garcia AB, de Carvalho C, Casagrande D, Picinato MADC, Pedro WA, Marinho M, Queiroz LH. Rabies in Bats (Chiroptera, Mammalia) in Brazil: Prevalence and Potential Risk Factors Based on Twenty Years of Research in the Northwestern Region of São Paulo, Brazil. Vet Sci 2023; 10:vetsci10010034. [PMID: 36669035 PMCID: PMC9860975 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10010034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The number of rabies cases in bats has increased recently in Brazil and in the state of São Paulo, representing a new epidemiological scenario for this zoonosis. This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of rabies in bats according to food habits, taxonomic classification, sex and season of the year to identify possible risk factors for rabies occurrence in bats. A retrospective analysis of 6389 records of bat samples, from different municipalities of São Paulo, submitted to rabies diagnosis and taxonomic identification was carried out at the Rabies Diagnostic and Chiroptera Laboratories of Unesp Araçatuba, São Paulo, Brazil, from 1998 to 2017. Seventy-six (1.1%) positive rabies cases were detected in bats from ten species and seven genera of three families. The number of rabies-positive cases was higher in the dry season, with a significant association. The prevalence was higher in the Vespertilionidae family (37), especially Myotis nigricans (19) and Eptesicus furinalis (14). Frugivorous bats had a greater association with positivity for rabies, whereas the variable "sex" had no association. We recommend that the surveillance and control of rabies should be undertaken primarily during the dry season, especially in the Vespertilionidae family species and other species with a frugivorous food habit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Beatriz Garcia
- Post-Graduation Program on Animal Health, Veterinary Medicine College of Araçatuba, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araçatuba 16050-680, SP, Brazil
| | - Cristiano de Carvalho
- Department of Production and Animal Health, Veterinary Medicine College of Araçatuba, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araçatuba 16050-680, SP, Brazil
| | - Daiene Casagrande
- Post-Graduation Program on Animal Health, Veterinary Medicine College of Araçatuba, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araçatuba 16050-680, SP, Brazil
| | - Mirelle Andrea de Carvalho Picinato
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Jaboticabal 14884-900, SP, Brazil
| | - Wagner Andre Pedro
- Department of Production and Animal Health, Veterinary Medicine College of Araçatuba, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araçatuba 16050-680, SP, Brazil
| | - Márcia Marinho
- Department of Production and Animal Health, Veterinary Medicine College of Araçatuba, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araçatuba 16050-680, SP, Brazil
| | - Luzia Helena Queiroz
- Department of Production and Animal Health, Veterinary Medicine College of Araçatuba, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Araçatuba 16050-680, SP, Brazil
- Correspondence:
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Mantovan KB, Menozzi BD, Paiz LM, Sevá AP, Brandão PE, Langoni H. Geographic Distribution of Common Vampire Bat Desmodus rotundus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) Shelters: Implications for the Spread of Rabies Virus to Cattle in Southeastern Brazil. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11080942. [PMID: 36015061 PMCID: PMC9412479 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11080942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Desmodus rotundus bats show a complex social structure and developed adaptive characteristics, considered key features of a pathogen disseminator, such as the rabies virus, among bats and other mammals, including cattle and humans. Our aim was to understand the correlation between the environment and the ecological features of these bats in bovine rabies outbreaks. Geostatistical analyses were performed, covering 104 cattle positives for rabies, between 2016 and 2018, in 25 municipalities, in addition to the characteristics of D. rotundus colonies mapped during this period in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Data from the shelters showed that 86.15% were artificial, mainly abandoned houses (36.10%) and manholes (23.87%), in addition to demonstrating a correlation between these shelters and a higher concentration of bovine rabies cases. Due to their adaptive capacity, these bats choose shelters close to the food source, such as livestock. In Brazil, D. rotundus is the main transmitter of rabies and the cause of outbreaks in cattle and deaths in humans, considering the advance of humans in previously preserved ecosystems. There seems to be a correlation between the impact of anthropic changes on the environment, mainly for the expansion of pasture for cattle and the outbreaks of bovine rabies in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine B. Mantovan
- Departamento de Produção Animal e Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Julio de Mesquita Filho”, Botucatu 18618-681, São Paulo, Brazil
- Correspondence: (K.B.M.); (H.L.)
| | - Benedito D. Menozzi
- Departamento de Produção Animal e Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Julio de Mesquita Filho”, Botucatu 18618-681, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lais M. Paiz
- Departamento de Saúde Coletiva, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade de Campinas, Campinas 13083-887, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anaiá P. Sevá
- Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Ambientais, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus 45662-900, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Paulo E. Brandão
- Departamento Medicina Veterinária Preventiva e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-270, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Helio Langoni
- Departamento de Produção Animal e Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Julio de Mesquita Filho”, Botucatu 18618-681, São Paulo, Brazil
- Correspondence: (K.B.M.); (H.L.)
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Stephens PR, Gottdenker N, Schatz AM, Schmidt JP, Drake JM. Characteristics of the 100 largest modern zoonotic disease outbreaks. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2021; 376:20200535. [PMID: 34538141 PMCID: PMC8450623 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Zoonotic disease outbreaks are an important threat to human health and numerous drivers have been recognized as contributing to their increasing frequency. Identifying and quantifying relationships between drivers of zoonotic disease outbreaks and outbreak severity is critical to developing targeted zoonotic disease surveillance and outbreak prevention strategies. However, quantitative studies of outbreak drivers on a global scale are lacking. Attributes of countries such as press freedom, surveillance capabilities and latitude also bias global outbreak data. To illustrate these issues, we review the characteristics of the 100 largest outbreaks in a global dataset (n = 4463 bacterial and viral zoonotic outbreaks), and compare them with 200 randomly chosen background controls. Large outbreaks tended to have more drivers than background outbreaks and were related to large-scale environmental and demographic factors such as changes in vector abundance, human population density, unusual weather conditions and water contamination. Pathogens of large outbreaks were more likely to be viral and vector-borne than background outbreaks. Overall, our case study shows that the characteristics of large zoonotic outbreaks with thousands to millions of cases differ consistently from those of more typical outbreaks. We also discuss the limitations of our work, hoping to pave the way for more comprehensive future studies. This article is part of the theme issue 'Infectious disease macroecology: parasite diversity and dynamics across the globe'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick R. Stephens
- Odum School of Ecology and Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, 30602 GA, USA
| | - N. Gottdenker
- Odum School of Ecology and Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, 30602 GA, USA
- Department of Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, 30602 GA, USA
| | - A. M. Schatz
- Odum School of Ecology and Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, 30602 GA, USA
| | - J. P. Schmidt
- Odum School of Ecology and Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, 30602 GA, USA
| | - John M. Drake
- Odum School of Ecology and Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, 30602 GA, USA
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Ribeiro J, Vieira RGV, Martins CM, Ferreira F, Araujo JP, Ullmann LS, Dos Santos AP, Biondo AW. Spatial Distribution of Bat Shelters and Livestock Rabies in Southern Brazil. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2021; 21:785-795. [PMID: 34661486 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2020.2730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This study focused on the epidemiological characterization and spatial distribution of bat shelters concerning livestock animal rabies in Paraná State, southern Brazil. A spatiotemporal cluster analysis was performed based on rabies-positive cases and the Desmodus rotundus shelters. A total of 1742 suspect rabies cases submitted for diagnosis from 2011 to 2017 were analyzed; 481 (27.61%) were positive, and 1261 (72.39%) were negative by direct immunofluorescence and biological testing in mice. Out of the positive samples, 413/481 (85.8%) was bovine, 44/481 (9.1%) equine, 6/481 (1.2%) sheep, 5/481 (1.0%) bubaline, and 14/481 (2.9%) were bats. From 22 Regional Units of Agricultural Health, the northeast 129 (26.82%) and central 86 (17.88%) units had the highest recurrence rates of positive cases. Paraná State was continuously endemic for livestock rabies, with the highest caseload seen in the southern-central regions, which was associated with the highest number of vampire bat shelters and natural geographical characteristics favoring bat housing. There was a decrease in the number of rabies cases in livestock in 2013 and 2014. Spatiotemporal analyses of point process mapping and control of D. rotundus shelters and suspected livestock rabies cases in the study area were steady and statistically correlated. However, as bats may travel up to 35-40 km to prey on cattle clusters, bat shelter locations may not be the most sensitive measure of exposure. Furthermore, future studies should consider landscape features such as altitude as potential associated risk factors. Rabies vaccination of livestock and bat hematophagous shelters identification combined with bat control is recommended to increase the efficacy of preventive measures, particularly in natural geographic characteristics favoring local bat housing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliano Ribeiro
- Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Gonçalves Velho Vieira
- Agency of Agricultural Defense of Paraná-ADAPAR, Program "Surveillance and Prevention of Transmissible Nervous Syndromes in Production Animals," Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Camila Marinelli Martins
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernando Ferreira
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - João Pessoa Araujo
- Institute of Biotechnology, UNESP-Univ. Estadual Paulista, Campus de Botucatu, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Leila Sabrina Ullmann
- Institute of Biotechnology, UNESP-Univ. Estadual Paulista, Campus de Botucatu, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Andrea Pires Dos Santos
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Alexander Welker Biondo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
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12
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Zoonotic Risk: One More Good Reason Why Cats Should Be Kept Away from Bats. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10030304. [PMID: 33807760 PMCID: PMC8002059 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10030304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Bats are often unfairly depicted as the direct culprit in the current COVID-19 pandemic, yet the real causes of this and other zoonotic spillover events should be sought in the human impact on the environment, including the spread of domestic animals. Here, we discuss bat predation by cats as a phenomenon bringing about zoonotic risks and illustrate cases of observed, suspected or hypothesized pathogen transmission from bats to cats, certainly or likely following predation episodes. In addition to well-known cases of bat rabies, we review other diseases that affect humans and might eventually reach them through cats that prey on bats. We also examine the potential transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the causal agent of COVID-19, from domestic cats to bats, which, although unlikely, might generate a novel wildlife reservoir in these mammals, and identify research and management directions to achieve more effective risk assessment, mitigation or prevention. Overall, not only does bat killing by cats represent a potentially serious threat to biodiversity conservation, but it also bears zoonotic implications that can no longer be neglected.
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13
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Li C, Wang Y, Liu H, Zhang X, Baolige D, Zhao S, Hu W, Yang Y. Change in the Single Amino Acid Site 83 in Rabies Virus Glycoprotein Enhances the BBB Permeability and Reduces Viral Pathogenicity. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 8:632957. [PMID: 33634109 PMCID: PMC7900495 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.632957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Lab-attenuated rabies virus (RABV) is a highly cellular adaptation and less pathogenic than wild-type RABV. However, the molecular mechanisms that regulate the cellular adaptation and pathogenicity remain obscure. In this work, we isolated a wild-type RABV (CNIM1701) from a rabid bovine in northern China. The original CNIM1701 was lethal in adult mice and restricted replication in cell cultures. After 20 serial passages in the brains of suckling mice, the virus was renamed CNIM1701-P20, which was safe in adult mice and replicated well in cell cultures. In addition, sequence comparison analysis of the original CNIM1701 and CNIM1701-P20 identified 2 amino acid substitutions on G protein (Lys83 → Arg83 and Pro367 → Ser 367) related to pathogenesis and cellular adaptation. Using site-directed mutagenesis to exchange Lys83 with Arg83 and Pro367 with Ser 367 in the G protein of the RABV SAD strain, the pathogenicity of rSAD-K83R was significantly decreased. Our data indicate that the decreased pathogenicity of rSAD-K83R is due to increasing the expression of RABV-G, which also induced a higher level of apoptosis in infected cells. Furthermore, the K83 mutation induced high expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 on DCs and promoted blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability. These results demonstrate that the pathogenesis of RABV is partially dependent on G expression and BBB permeability, which may help in the design and development of highly safe, live-RABV vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunfu Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yongzhi Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Huiting Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Xinghua Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Dalai Baolige
- Veterinary Research Institution, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, China
| | - Shihua Zhao
- Veterinary Research Institution, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, China
| | - Wei Hu
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yang Yang
- The State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Regulation and Breeding of Grassland Livestock, School of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
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14
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Benavides JA, Megid J, Campos A, Hampson K. Using Surveillance of Animal Bite Patients to Decipher Potential Risks of Rabies Exposure From Domestic Animals and Wildlife in Brazil. Front Public Health 2020; 8:318. [PMID: 32850575 PMCID: PMC7396646 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.00318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Direct contact with domestic animals and wildlife is linked to zoonotic spillover risk. Patients presenting with animal-bite injuries provide a potentially valuable source of surveillance data on rabies viruses that are transmitted primarily by animal bites. Here, we used passive surveillance data of bite patients to identify areas with high potential risk of rabies transmission to humans across Brazil, a highly diverse and populous country, where rabies circulates in a range of species. We analyzed one decade of bite patient data from the national health information system (SINAN) comprising over 500,000 patients attending public health facilities after being bitten by a domestic or wild animal. Our analyses show that, between 2008 and 2016, patients were mostly bitten by domestic dogs (average annual dog bite patients: 502,043 [436,391-544,564], annual incidence per state: 258 dog bites/100,000 persons) and cats (76,512 [56,588-97,580] cat bites, 41 cat bites/100,000/year), but bites from bats (4,172 [3,351-5,365] bat bites, 2.3/100,000/year), primates (3,320 [3,013-3,710] primate bites, 2.0/100,000/year), herbivores (1,908 [1,492-2,298] herbivore bites, 0.9/100,000/year) and foxes (883 [609-1,086] fox bites, 0.6/100,000/year) were also considerable. Incidence of bites due to dogs and herbivores remained relatively stable over the last decade. In contrast bites by cats and bats increased while bites by primates and foxes decreased. Bites by wild animals occurred in all states but were more frequent in the North and Northeast of Brazil, with over 3-fold differences in incidence between states across all animal groups. Most bites reported from domestic animals and wildlife occurred in urban settings (71%), except for bites from foxes, which were higher in rural settings (57%). Based upon the Ministry of Health guidelines, only half of patients received the correct Post-Exposure Prophylaxis following a bite by a suspect rabid animal. We identified areas and species of high-risk for potential zoonotic transmission of rabies in Brazil and reveal that, despite increasing human encroachment into natural ecosystems, only patients reporting bites by bats increased. Our study calls for future research to identity the socio-ecological factors underlying bites and the preventive measures needed to reduce their incidence and potential risk of rabies transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio A. Benavides
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Centro de Investigación para la Sustentabilidad, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
- Department of Veterinary Hygiene and Public Health, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Jane Megid
- Department of Veterinary Hygiene and Public Health, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Aline Campos
- Programa Estadual de Controle e Profilaxia da Raiva, Health Secretary of Rio Grande Do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Katie Hampson
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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15
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Campos AAS, Dos Santos RN, Benavides JA, de Carvalho Ruthner Batista HB, Finoketti F, Wagner PGC, Zafalon-Silva B, Alievi M, da Silva FB, Witt A, Tartarotti A, de Cassia Rodrigues da Silva A, Ferreira KCS, Frazzon APG, Roehe PM, Franco AC. Rabies surveillance in wild mammals in South of Brazil. Transbound Emerg Dis 2019; 67:906-913. [PMID: 31698530 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/01/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The sylvatic cycle of rabies, caused by the Rabies lyssavirus (RABV), is maintained in the American Continent by aerial and terrestrial wild mammals. In this study, we combined passive surveillance of rescued wild animals with active serological surveillance in targeting areas at Rio Grande do Sul State and Santa Catarina State, south of Brazil, where bites of humans by wild animals have been reported. Circulation of RABV in Brazilian bats has been extensively demonstrated; however, the observation of such infections in unvaccinated terrestrial mammals is restricted to some regions of the Brazilian territory. The occurrence of rabies infection in unvaccinated animals has been identified by the detection of RABV antigens in brain tissues of dead animals or anti-rabies antibodies in live animals. Such strategies allow the surveillance of rabies and the assessment of spillover risks from infected animals to humans. Our aim included the identification of species of wild mammals that are involved in the sylvatic cycle of rabies virus in Southern Brazil and to assess the risk of rabies infection in patients bitten by wild animals in the state. To assess the anti-rabies seropositivity, sera were submitted to the Rapid Fluorescent Focus Inhibition Test (RFFIT). Among the 100 mammals tested, five animals were seropositive (5%) including three (one primate and two wild canids) with rabies virus neutralizing antibodies titres >0.5 IU/ml. Our results highlight the exposure to RABV of both primates and wild canids in Southern Brazil and suggest the occurrence of RABV exposure without the development of further symptoms. Further research should clarify the dynamics of rabies in wild canids and whether primates are accidental hosts or reservoirs for RABV at this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline Alves Scarpellini Campos
- Centro Estadual de Vigilância em Saúde (CEVS), Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde (ICBS) Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Raíssa Nunes Dos Santos
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde (ICBS) Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Julio A Benavides
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | | | - Fernando Finoketti
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde (ICBS) Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Bruna Zafalon-Silva
- Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Alievi
- Faculdade de Veterinária, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Fabio Branco da Silva
- Centro Estadual de Vigilância em Saúde (CEVS), Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - André Witt
- Centro Estadual de Vigilância em Saúde (CEVS), Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Ana Tartarotti
- Centro Estadual de Vigilância em Saúde (CEVS), Secretaria Estadual de Saúde do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | | | - Ana Paula Guedes Frazzon
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde (ICBS) Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Paulo Michel Roehe
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde (ICBS) Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Ana Cláudia Franco
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde (ICBS) Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
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