Abstract:
The aetiological agent of rabies is a member of the Lyssavirus genus (Rhabdoviridae family,
order Mononegavirales). The disease (rabies) is endemic in many parts of Asia and Africa and still
remains an important public and veterinary health threat. In Nigeria, there is a dearth of information
on the natural infection and/or exposure of bat species to lyssaviruses. Therefore, this study was
undertaken to assess the prevalence of rabies virus (RABV) neutralizing antibodies in sera obtained
from bats from the central Plateau and North-East Bauchi States in Nigeria. Two hundred serum
samples were collected from Nigerian fruit bats from six different locations and tested for anti-RABV
antibodies using a commercial blocking ELISA. Of the 200 bat serum samples collected, one batch
consisting of 111 samples did not meet the validation criteria and hence was not included in the final
analysis. Of the remaining 89, only three (3.4%) contained anti-lyssavirus antibodies, demonstrating
a low prevalence of lyssavirus antibodies in the study population. In order to further understand the
exposure of bat species to phylogroup II lyssaviruses (Lagos bat virus and Mokola virus), the same
panel of samples will be tested for neutralizing antibodies to phylogroup II members, viruses that do
not cross-neutralize with members of phylogroup I.
