Rabies virus in white-nosed coatis (Nasua narica) in Mexico: what do we know so far?

Abstract

Rabies is a neglected disease that affects all mammals. To determine the appropriate sanitary measures, the schedule of preventive medicine campaigns requires the proper identification of the variants of the virus circulating in the outbreaks, the species involved, and the interspecific and intraspecific virus movements. Urban rabies has been eradicated in developed countries and is being eradicated in some developing countries. In Europe and North America, oral vaccination programs for wildlife have been successful, whereas in Latin America, Asia, and Africa, rabies remains a public health problem due to the habitation of a wide variety of wild animal species that can act as rabies virus reservoirs in their environment. After obtaining recognition from the WHO/PAHO as the first country to eliminate human rabies transmitted by dogs, Mexico faces a new challenge: the control of rabies transmitted by wildlife to humans and domestic animals. In recent years, rabies outbreaks in the white-nosed coati (Nasua narica) have been detected, and it is suspected that the species plays a significant role in maintaining the wild cycle of rabies in the southeast of Mexico. In this study, we discussed cases of rabies in white-nosed coatis that were diagnosed at InDRE (in English: Institute of Epidemiological Diagnosis and Reference; in Spanish: Instituto de Diagnostico y Referencia Epidemiologicos) from 1993 to 2022. This study aimed to determine whether white-nosed coatis might be an emergent rabies reservoir in the country. A total of 13 samples were registered in the database from the Rabies laboratories of Estado de Mexico (n = 1), Jalisco (n = 1), Quintana Roo (n = 5), Sonora (n = 1), and Yucatan (n = 5). Samples from 1993 to 2002 from Estado de Mexico, Jalisco, and Sonora were not characterized because we no longer had any samples available. Nine samples were antigenically and genetically characterized. To date, coatis have not been considered important vectors of the rabies virus. The results from our research indicate that the surveillance of the rabies virus in coatis should be relevant to prevent human cases transmitted by this species.

Molecular Epidemiology and Spatial Distribution of Cat Rabies Cases in Yucatan, Mexico

“…It is now sustained and transmitted by some species of wild mammals, most likely skunks. Its canine origin poses a serious risk of reintroducing the virus into canine populations if vaccination coverage is not maintained [58,59].…”

Prevalence and transmission of the most relevant zoonotic and vector-borne pathogens in the Yucatan peninsula: A review

“…The intrinsic attributes of vectors, hosts, and pathogens, which determine the success of spread, replication, and transmission in animal and human populations [ 73 , 89 ], are also among the factors that act simultaneously and influence the dynamics of pathogen propagation [ 10 ]. We found that T .…”

“…It is estimated that by 2050, 2/3 of the world population will live in urban areas [ 109 ], which makes it necessary to protect urban residents from animal-transmitted diseases. In the YP, the dengue is one of the most emerging diseases ( Fig 4 ), but the circulation of other arboviruses-borne diseases, such as Zika, chikungunya, malaria, and West Nile virus, has also been confirmed, as well as viruses associated with bats, rodents, and other mammals [ 70 , 73 , 110 – 112 ].…”