Surveillance and epidemiologic mapping of monoclonal antibody-defined rabies variants in Florida

Brain tissues from 128 rabid animals from Florida in 1987 and 1988 were analyzed with monoclonal antibodies and cases were mapped by species and antigenic variant. The single variant found in terrestrial animals was distinguished easily from the variety of antigenic variants identified for infected bats, and there was no evidence of transmission of rabies between bats and terrestrial animals. The raccoon (Procyon lotor) appeared to be the sole maintenance source for terrestrial animal rabies in Florida.