European distribution and intramuscular pathogenicity of divergent lyssaviruses West Caucasian bat virus and Lleida bat lyssavirus.

ABSTRACT: Among lyssaviruses, West Caucasian bat virus (WCBV) and Lleida bat lyssavirus (LLEBV) raise concern as their divergence from rabies virus leads to the inefficacy of available prophylactic agents. Both viruses were described in the bat Miniopterus schreibersii. We investigated the European distribution of WCBV and LLEBV by screening sera from Miniopterus schreibersii across eight countries, finding widespread serological evidence and positivity up to 70%. We evaluated the intramuscular lethality of wild type isolates in Syrian hamsters. WCBV induced 100% lethality and a clinical disease compatible with furious rabies. All animals infected with LLEBV remained healthy for 40 days, despite one individual testing positive in the brain. We confirmed LLEBV's intramuscular a-pathogen

SUBMITTER: Leopardi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11787528 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature