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Lagos bat virus, South Africa
Wanda Markotter1, Jenny Randles, Charles E Rupprecht
1University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
Emerging Infectious Diseases
|May 18, 2006
Summary
Lagos bat virus reappeared in South African fruit bats after 13 years. Inadequate surveillance for lyssavirus in African bats likely causes its sporadic occurrence.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Zoonotic Diseases
- Wildlife Health
Background:
- Lagos bat virus (LBV) is a lyssavirus known to infect fruit bats.
- LBV has been detected sporadically in African bat populations.
- A 13-year gap in detections suggested a potential absence or under-detection of LBV.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report recent isolations of Lagos bat virus.
- To investigate the potential reasons for the virus's sporadic occurrence.
Main Methods:
- Virus isolation from fruit bat samples in South Africa.
Main Results:
- Three new isolates of Lagos bat virus were recovered from fruit bats.
- These isolations occurred after a 13-year period without reported detections.
Conclusions:
- Lagos bat virus remains present in South African fruit bat populations.
- Insufficient surveillance programs for lyssavirus infections in African bats likely contribute to the sporadic detection of LBV.
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