Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis to Prevent Hematophagous Bat-Mediated Rabies Outbreaks in Remote Amazon Communities: Lessons from a Pilot for Public Health Policy.

In 2018, an outbreak of human rabies caused by the hematophagous bat hit the Brazilian Amazon Basin community of Melgaço, Brazil, resulting in the death of 10 people, 9 of them children. The incidence of rabies has been on the rise among populations in conditions of vulnerability in this ecosystem due to human expansion into sylvatic environments and limited access to public health services. To address this issue, in September 2019, a collaborative effort from national, local, and international institutions promoted and executed a pilot for pre-exposure prophylaxis of a population in high-risk areas for hematophagous bat-mediated rabies.

Defining New Pathways to Manage the Ongoing Emergence of Bat Rabies in Latin America.

Rabies transmitted by common vampire bats () has been known since the early 1900s but continues to expand geographically and in the range of species and environments affected. In this review, we present current knowledge of the epidemiology and management of rabies in and argue that it can be reasonably considered an emerging public health threat. We identify knowledge gaps related to the landscape determinants of the bat reservoir, reduction in bites on humans and livestock, and social barriers to prevention.

[Situation of public laboratories manufacturing antivenoms in Latin AmericaA situação dos laboratórios públicos produtores de soros antivenenos na América Latina].

The situation of public laboratories manufacturing antivenoms in Latin America was analyzed, based on the results of a workshop coordinated by the Pan American Foot-and-Mouth Disease Center (PANAFTOSA) of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Nine countries in the region have 12 public laboratories that produce and distribute antivenoms for use against different venomous animals. The situation of each laboratory was discussed, and an analysis was conducted of the current scenario, which is characterized by increasing regulatory requirements that vary in terms of infrastructure and production capacity.