Raiva Humana

RABIES RISK, BATS, URBAN - BRAZIL: (RIO DE JANEIRO)

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A ProMED-mail post
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International Society for Infectious Diseases
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Date: Sat 24 Jan 2009
Source: O Globo Rio [in Portuguese, trans. & summ. Mod.JW, edited]
<http://oglobo.globo.com/rio/mat/2009/01/23/morcegos-atacam-preocupam-moradores-na-fonte-da-saudade-754123277.asp>


In late December 2008, a 70-year-old woman was bitten near the right eye by a bat inside her house in the Fonte de Saudade district of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Since then, she and her neighbors sleep with the windows closed. At first she did not realize she had been bitten, but after a few days the spot became inflamed and very itchy. Doctors told her it was a bat bite and have been treating her with anti-rabies serum and rabies and tetanus vaccines.

Another woman, aged 38, living in the Leblon district of the city, said that last year [2008] she was bitten in the foot while sleeping in her apartment, and bled profusely.

Professionals at the RioZoo Foundation said that vampire bats (_Desmodus rotundus_) bite mammals, but that the commonest bat in Rio is the fruit bat (_Artibeus lituratus_). The mountainous areas of Alto da Boa Vista and Gavea [where there are forests and caves. - Mod.JW] are other parts of Rio where bats have been known to attack people.

They said that bat bites can lead to 3 types of disease: tetanus, mild infections, and rabies. They recommend that if a bat enters a room, the lights should be turned off and the windows left open so that it can get out again. In case of a bat bite, the victim should go to a health post to be treated with anti-rabies serum and rabies and tetanus vaccines, and antibiotics.
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Communicated by: ProMED-mail
[The initially painless bite inflicted on the 1st victim sounds like a small insectivorous bat, which is unlikely to bite a human unless it is rabid. The profusely bleeding wound on the foot of the 2nd is characteristic of a vampire bat bite, and it is hoped that the victim is also receiving the appropriate treatment, although not every vampire bat is infected with rabies virus. Fruit bats are large and very noticeable (see image below), and unlikely to have been involved
in these 2 cases, but can also transmit rabies if infected in the roost.

Image of insectivorous bat (_Myotis_ sp.): <http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/bioblitz/2008/05/31/burnedbat.jpg>
Image of a vampire bat (_Desmodus_):
<http://www.javno.com/slike/slike_3/r1/g2008/m08/y179084889345303.jpg>
Image of a fruit bat (_Artibeus_):
<http://www.zoosociety.org/img/StudentGrant/07_FruitBat.jpg>. - Mod.JW

Rio de Janeiro can be located on the HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Brazil at
<http://healthmap.org/promed/en?g=3451190&v=-22.903,-43.207,5>. - CopyEd.MJ]

[see also: 2008
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Rabies, human, bat - Brazil (03): Goias 20081224.4057
Rabies, human survival, bat - Brazil (02): (Pernambuco) 20081122.3689
Rabies, human survival, bat - Brazil: (Pernambuco) 20081114.3599
2005
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Rabies, human, vampire bats - Brazil (MA) (04) 20051110.3287
Rabies, human, vampire bats - Brazil (MA)(03) 20051102.3202
Rabies, human, vampire bats - Brazil (MA)(02) 20051027.3133
Rabies, human, vampire bats - Brazil (MA) 20051024.3100
Rabies, humans, vampire bats - Brazil (Para) 20050615.1684
2004
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Rabies, humans, vampire bats - Brazil (Para) (05) 20040527.1428
Rabies, humans, vampire bats - Brazil (Para) (04) 20040522.1378
Rabies, humans, vampire bats - Brazil (Para) (03) 20040520.1349
Rabies, humans, vampire bats - Brazil (Para)(02) 20040417.1070
Rabies, humans, vampire bats - Brazil (Para) 20040403.0914]

Há cerca de quatro anos, Waldyr contou a história de um caso que chegou ao IJV, de um médico atacado por um morcego EXATAMENTE na mesma (bela e rica) região da cidade do Rio de Janeiro.

Havia ciência, portanto, das autoridades municipais. O médico procedeu ao tratamento pós-exposição.

A situação parece um tanto mais grave agora.

 E nem estou vendo isso na TV!!!

O Brasil teve, meses atrás, o segundo caso de remissão da Raiva Humana da História. Isto foi alardeado à época e é louvável que tenha acontecido.

 Mas devemos lembrar que foi, isso sim, um fato extraordinário. Ainda devemos pensar sempre que A RAIVA NÃO TEM VOLTA!!! E repetir isso quase como um mantra.

Vamos sempre remediar as situações? O que está acontecendo é muito grave!!!

Vamos ter consciência e cuidar de divulgar o que está acontecendo!!!