The Serological Prevalence of Rabies Virus-Neutralizing Antibodies in the Bat Population on the Caribbean Island of Trinidad
Janine F. R. Seetahal,
Lauren Greenberg,
Panayampalli Subbian Satheshkumar,
Manuel J. Sanchez-Vazquez,
George Legall,
Shamjeet Singh,
Vernie Ramkissoon,
Tony Schountz,
Vincent Munster,
Christopher A. L. Oura,
Christine V. F. Carrington
Affiliations
Janine F. R. Seetahal
Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
Lauren Greenberg
Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
Panayampalli Subbian Satheshkumar
Poxvirus and Rabies Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
Manuel J. Sanchez-Vazquez
Pan American Food-and-Mouth Disease Centre (PANAFTOSA), Pan American Health Organization, Rio de Janeiro CEP 25045-002, Brazil
George Legall
Faculty of Food Production and Agriculture, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
Shamjeet Singh
School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
Vernie Ramkissoon
Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
Tony Schountz
Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
Vincent Munster
Virus Ecology Unit, Laboratory of Virology, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, NIAID/NIH, Hamilton, MT 59840, USA
Christopher A. L. Oura
School of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
Christine V. F. Carrington
Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
Rabies virus (RABV) is the only lyssavirus known to be present within the Caribbean. The island of Trinidad, is richly diverse in chiropteran fauna and endemic for bat-transmitted rabies with low RABV isolation rates observed in this population. We aimed to determine the seroprevalence of rabies virus neutralizing antibodies (RVNA) in light of spatio-temporal and bat demographic factors to infer the extent of natural exposure to RABV in the Trinidadian bat population. RVNA titers were determined by the RABV micro-neutralization test on 383 bat samples representing 21 species, comprising 30.9% of local bat diversity, from 31 locations across the island over 5 years. RVNA was positively detected in 33 samples (8.6%) representing 6 bat species (mainly frugivorous) with titers ranging from 0.1 to 19 IU/mL (mean 1.66 IU/mL). The analyses based on a multivariable binomial generalised linear mixed-effects model showed that bat age and year of capture were significant predictors of seropositivity. Thus, juvenile bats were more likely to be seropositive when compared to adults (estimate 1.13; p = 0.04) which may suggest early exposure to the RABV with possible implications for viral amplification in this population. Temporal variation in rabies seropositivity, 2012−2014 versus 2015−2017 (estimate 1.07; p = 0.03) may have been related to the prevailing rabies epizootic situation. Regarding other factors investigated, RVNA was found in bats from both rural and non-rural areas, as well as in both hematophagous and non-hematophagous bat species. The most common seropositive species, Artibeus jamaicensis planirostris is ubiquitous throughout the island which may potentially facilitate human exposure. The findings of this study should be factored into public health assessments on the potential for rabies transmission by non-hematophagous bats in Trinidad.
