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

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Over the course of twenty years, 6389 bats were sent for rabies diagnosis in the northwest region of São Paulo state, Brazil, and the rabies-positive cases were analyzed according to their food habits, taxonomic classification, sex and season of the year to identify if any risk factors could be detected for rabies occurrence in these mammals. A higher number of cases was detected in the dry season, in bats belonging to the Vespertilionidae family. Frugivorous bats had a greater association with positivity for rabies, whereas the variable “sex” had no association. 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.