| Summary: | The outbreaks of rabies in humans transmitted by Desmodus rotundus in 2004 and 2005,
in the northeast of the Brazilian State of Para, eastern Amazon basin, made this a
priority area for studies on this zoonosis. Given this, the present study provides
data on this phenomenon in an urban context, in order to assess the possible
circulation of the classic rabies virus (RABV) among bat species in Capanema, a town
in the Amazon basin. Bats were collected, in 2011, with mist nets during the wet and
dry seasons. Samples of brain tissue and blood were collected for virological and
serological survey, respectively. None of the 153 brain tissue samples analyzed
tested positive for RABV infection, but 50.34% (95% CI: 45.67-55.01%) of the serum
samples analyzed were seropositive. Artibeus planirostris was the most common
species, with a high percentage of seropositive individuals (52.46%, 95% CI: 52.31
52.60%). Statistically, equal proportions of seropositive results were obtained in
the rainy and dry seasons (c2 = 0.057, d.f. = 1, p = 0.88). Significantly
higher proportions of males (55.96%, 95% CI: 48.96-62.96%) and adults (52.37%, 95%
CI: 47.35-57.39%) were seropositive. While none of the brain tissue samples tested
positive for infection, the high proportion of seropositive specimens indicates that
RABV may be widespread in this urban area.
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