Background: Rabies, a lethal viral zoonotic disease, remains a significant global public health concern. In northeastern Brazil, in particular, its epidemiology is complex and dynamic, characterized by the presence of several reservoirs associated with human rabies infection.
Methods: This study, conducted from June 2022 to July 2023, was part of a passive epidemiological surveillance initiative under Brazil's National Rabies Surveillance Program.
We detected an emerging human-associated gemykibivirus-2 (HuGkV-2) in rectal swab sample from Molossus molossus bat from Brazil. Phylogenetic analysis further revealed well-supported relationships between our sequence and those associated with human infections. This study underscores the necessity of ongoing monitoring of HuGkV-2 to elucidate potential spillback events, its role in human infections, and its public health implications.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRabies is a fatal viral zoonosis caused by rabies virus (RABV). RABV infects the central nervous system and triggers acute encephalomyelitis in both humans and animals. Endemic in the Brazilian Northeast region, RABV emergence in distinct wildlife species has been identified as a source of human rabies infection and as such, constitutes a public health concern.
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