Survey of bat populations from Mexico and Paraguay for rabies

mammalian survey was conducted in Mexico (October 1994-January 1996) and in Paraguay (August 1996-March 1997); a complete specimen was collected for e ach bat in the survey, including primary voucher specimen, ectoparasites, k aryotype, and various frozen tissues. The surveys combined provided 937 bra in samples (65 bat species) for rabies diagnosis. One male Lasiurus ega, co llected in Paraguay, tested positive for the rabies virus (overall prevalen ce rate of 0.1%). Nucleotide sequence from a 300 bp region of the rabies nu cleoprotein gene was compared with sequence obtained from representative ra bies virus samples in the repository at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, Georgia, USA). Rabies virus extracted from the brain material of L. ega differed by only one nucleotide from a 300 bp consensus sequence (> 99% homology) derived from samples for the variant of rabies vi rus transmitted by Lasiurus cinereus. Lasiurus ega differed by approximatel y 15% for the variant transmitted by Desmodus rotundus. Phylogenetic analys is found no evidence to suggest L. ega is a reservoir for rabies antigenic variant 6. The most likely explanation for rabies in L. ega was infection f ollowing contact with a rabid L. cinereus.