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Article

Evolutionary Diversity of Bat Rabies Virus in São Paulo State, Brazil

by
Luzia H. Queiroz
1,*,†,
Angélica C. A. Campos
2,3,*,†,
Marissol C. Lopes
4,
Elenice M. S. Cunha
5,
Avelino Albas
6,
Cristiano de Carvalho
1,
Wagner A. Pedro
1,
Eduardo C. Silva
4,
Monique S. Lot
7,
Sandra V. Inácio
4,
Danielle B. Araújo
3,8,
Marielton P. Cunha
9,
Edison L. Durigon
8,
Luiz Gustavo B. Góes
2 and
Silvana R. Favoretto
3,8,10
1
Departamento de Produção e Saúde Animal, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária de Araçatuba, UNESP—Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araçatuba 16050-680, Brazil
2
Institut Pasteur de São Paulo—IPSP, São Paulo 05508-020, Brazil
3
Programa de Pós-Graduação Interunidades em Biotecnologia, Laboratório de Virologia Clínica e Molecular, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, USP—Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
4
FAPESP Scholarship, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária de Araçatuba, UNESP—Universidade Estadual Paulista, Araçatuba 16050-680, Brazil
5
Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento, Instituto Biológico de São Paulo, São Paulo 04016-035, Brazil
6
Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios, Unidade de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento de Presidente Prudente, Presidente Prudente 19015-970, Brazil
7
CNPq Technical Assistance Fellowship, Faculdade de Farmácia, UNIP—Universidade Paulista, Campus Araçatuba, Araçatuba 16018-555, Brazil
8
Núcleo de Pesquisas em Raiva—NPR, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, USP—Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-000, Brazil
9
Laboratório de Bioinformática e Virologia, Departamento de Genética, Evolução, Microbiologia e Imunologia, Instituto de Biologia, UNICAMP—Universidade de Campinas, Campinas 13083-862, Brazil
10
Instituto Pasteur—Secretaria da Saúde do Estado de São Paulo, São Paulo 01311-000, Brazil
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
These authors contributed equally for this work.
Viruses 2025, 17(8), 1063; https://doi.org/10.3390/v17081063
Submission received: 11 April 2025 / Revised: 5 July 2025 / Accepted: 9 July 2025 / Published: 30 July 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Rabies Research 2024)

Abstract

The history of the rabies virus dates back four millennia, with the virus being considered by many to be the first known transmitted between animals and humans. In Brazil, rabies virus variants associated with terrestrial wild animals, marmosets, and different bat species have been identified. In this study, bat samples from different regions of São Paulo State, in Southeast Brazil, were analyzed to identify their genetic variability and patterns. A total of 51 samples were collected over ten years (1999–2009) and submitted to the immunofluorescent technique using monoclonal antibodies for antigenic profile detection (the diagnostic routine used in Latin American countries) and genetic evolution analysis through maximum likelihood approaches. Three antigenic profiles were detected: one related to the rabies virus maintained by hematophagous bat populations (AgV3), part of the monoclonal antibody panel used, and two other profiles not included in the panel (called NC1 and NC2). These antigenic profiles were genetically distributed in five groups. Group I was related to hematophagous bats (AgV3), Groups II and III were related to insectivorous bats (NC1) and Groups IV and V were also related to insectivorous bats (NC2). The results presented herein show that genetic lineages previously restricted to the northwest region of São Paulo State are now found in other state regions, highlighting the need for a comprehensive genetic study of bat rabies covering geographic and temporal space, through expanded genomic analysis using a standard genomic fragment.
Keywords: rabies virus; non-hematophagous bats; viral diversity; antigenic and genetic characterization rabies virus; non-hematophagous bats; viral diversity; antigenic and genetic characterization

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MDPI and ACS Style

Queiroz, L.H.; Campos, A.C.A.; Lopes, M.C.; Cunha, E.M.S.; Albas, A.; de Carvalho, C.; Pedro, W.A.; Silva, E.C.; Lot, M.S.; Inácio, S.V.; et al. Evolutionary Diversity of Bat Rabies Virus in São Paulo State, Brazil. Viruses 2025, 17, 1063. https://doi.org/10.3390/v17081063

AMA Style

Queiroz LH, Campos ACA, Lopes MC, Cunha EMS, Albas A, de Carvalho C, Pedro WA, Silva EC, Lot MS, Inácio SV, et al. Evolutionary Diversity of Bat Rabies Virus in São Paulo State, Brazil. Viruses. 2025; 17(8):1063. https://doi.org/10.3390/v17081063

Chicago/Turabian Style

Queiroz, Luzia H., Angélica C. A. Campos, Marissol C. Lopes, Elenice M. S. Cunha, Avelino Albas, Cristiano de Carvalho, Wagner A. Pedro, Eduardo C. Silva, Monique S. Lot, Sandra V. Inácio, and et al. 2025. "Evolutionary Diversity of Bat Rabies Virus in São Paulo State, Brazil" Viruses 17, no. 8: 1063. https://doi.org/10.3390/v17081063

APA Style

Queiroz, L. H., Campos, A. C. A., Lopes, M. C., Cunha, E. M. S., Albas, A., de Carvalho, C., Pedro, W. A., Silva, E. C., Lot, M. S., Inácio, S. V., Araújo, D. B., Cunha, M. P., Durigon, E. L., Góes, L. G. B., & Favoretto, S. R. (2025). Evolutionary Diversity of Bat Rabies Virus in São Paulo State, Brazil. Viruses, 17(8), 1063. https://doi.org/10.3390/v17081063

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