Serological Survey of Lyssaviruses in Polish Bats in the Frame of Passive Rabies Surveillance Using an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay

Abstract

Background: Bats are known to host a number of nonpathogenic viruses, as well as highly pathogenic viruses causing fatal diseases like rabies. Serological surveys as part of active and passive bat rabies surveillance mainly use seroneutralization assays, demonstrating the presence of lyssavirus-specific antibodies in a variety of European bats, particularly against European bat lyssaviruses type 1 (EBLV-1). Here, we present the first serological survey in European bats of this kind during which European bats from Poland collected in the frame of passive rabies surveillance between 2012 and 2018, as well as Serotine bats (Eptesicus serotinus) and North American Big Brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) from previous experimental studies, were tested using a commercial ELISA kit for the detection of anti-lyssavirus antibodies. Results: Lyssavirus-specific antibodies were detected in 35 (30.4%) out of 115 Polish bats of both sexes, representing nine out of 13 identified bat species endemic mainly to Central Southern Europe and Western Asia, i.e., Eptesicus serotinus, Nyctalus noctula, Myotis daubentonii, Plecotus auritus, Vespertillo murinus,Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Pipistrellus pipilstrellus/Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Myotis brandtii, and Barbastella barbastellus. Seroprevalence was highest in bat species of Nyctalus noctula, Eptesicus serotinus, Plecotus auritus, and Myotis daubentonii. More than 60% of the ELISA seropositive bats originated from the voivodeships of Silesia, Lower-Silesian, Warmian-Mazurian, and Mazowian. Rabies-specific antibodies were also found in Eptesicus fuscus bats from North America. Conclusions: The study demonstrates the principal application of the BioPro Rabies ELISA Ab Kit for the detection of anti-lyssavirus specific antibodies in body fluids and serum samples of bats. However, results may only be reliable for North American bats, whereas interpretation of results for European bats per se is difficult because proper validation of the test is hampered by the protected status of these species.

Rabies in Europe: An epidemiological and clinical update

“…Similar data were collected the following year, confirming red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) as the main vector and reservoir (around 50% of cases) [24]. Lyssavirus-specific antibodies were also detected in 30.4% of endemic bats of Central-Southern Europe in 2020 (highest seroprevalence in Nyctalus noctula, Eptesicus serotinus, Plecotus auritus, and Myotis daubentonii) [25]. In Europe, more than 1000 bat rabies cases were reported in Europe with transmission to other mammals occurring in some cases.…”

Serological survey of lyssaviruses in synanthropic bats and human exposure to bats in Slovakia

“…N. noctula is one of the larger species of European insectivorous bats and can injure humans if handled inexpertly. The massive occurrence of this species in buildings is of interest fromthea public health perspective [64,65].…”

Setting the Terms for Zoonotic Diseases: Effective Communication for Research, Conservation, and Public Policy

“…While this cross-reactivity makes it challenging to discriminate between the circulation of related microbes, such as viruses in the family Flaviviridae [ 156 ], it represents an opportunity for the study of wildlife diseases, because it allows for the use of existing serological assays outside their original scope to investigate the circulation of pathogens before their actual isolation or molecular description, including undiscovered pathogens related to those for which the assay was designed [ 153 ]. For example, numerous studies reported serological evidence of bat exposure to henipaviruses, filoviruses and lyssaviruses across the Old World before their isolation or molecular identification [ 57 , 153 , 157 , 158 , 159 , 160 , 161 , 162 , 163 , 164 , 165 ].…”