Lagos bat virus
| Lagos bat virus | |
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Virus classification 
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| (unranked): | Virus |
| Realm: | Riboviria |
| Kingdom: | Orthornavirae |
| Phylum: | Negarnaviricota |
| Class: | Monjiviricetes |
| Order: | Mononegavirales |
| Family: | Rhabdoviridae |
| Genus: | Lyssavirus |
| Species: | Lyssavirus lagos
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| Synonyms | |
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Lagos bat virus (LBV) is a Lyssavirus of southern and central Africa that causes a rabies-like illness in mammals. It was first isolated from a fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) from Lagos Island, Nigeria in 1956.[1] Brain samples from the bat showed poor cross-reactivity to rabies antibodies but the virus was found to be closely related to the rabies virus. This was the first discovery of a rabies-related virus. Until this time, rabies was thought to have a single causal agent.[citation needed]
Lagos bat virus has been isolated from wild and domestic mammals in southern Africa including bats, cats and one dog.[2] One isolate was detected in France in 1999 when a fruit bat (Rousettus egypticus), which had been displaying signs of aggression, died. The bat had been imported from Africa.[3]
Four cases of Australian bat lyssavirus (ALBV) have been documented in humans in various regions of Australia.[4] There is no cure for lyssavirus, but it is closely enough related to rabies that all of the preventative measures for rabies, including vaccines and post-exposure treatment, are usually successful in preventing development of the disease. Post-exposure treatment involves immediate wound care, a series of four rabies vaccinations given over 14 days, and prompt administration of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) antibodies.[5][6] It is rare for post-exposure treatment to fail.
References
[edit]- ^ Boulger, L. R.; Porterfield, J. S. (September 1958). "Isolation of a Virus from Nigerian Fruit Bats". Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. 52 (5): 421–4. doi:10.1016/0035-9203(58)90127-5. PMID 13592882.
- ^ Markotter, W.; Randles, J.; Rupprecht, C. E.; Sabeta, C. T.; Taylor, P. J.; Wandeler, A. I.; Nel, L. H. (March 2006). "Lagos Bat Virus, South Africa" (PDF). Emerging Infectious Diseases. 12 (3): 504–6. doi:10.3201/eid1203.051306. PMC 3291461. PMID 16704795.
- ^ Picard-Meyer, E.; Barrat, J.; Tissot, E.; Verdot, A.; Patron, C.; Barrat, M. J.; Cliquet, F. (2006). "Bat Rabies Surveillance in France, from 1989 through May 2005". Developments in Biologicals. 125: 283–8. PMID 16878486.
- ^ "What we know about the rare bat disease that has killed another Australian". ABC News. 2025-07-03. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
- ^ World Health Organisation, (WHO) (2014). "WHO Guide for Rabies Pre and Post Exposure Prophylaxis in Humans" (PDF). cdn.who.int. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-05-10. Retrieved 2025-08-31.
- ^ UK Government, Emergency Alert (2025). "Rabies post-exposure treatment: management guidelines. A practical guide to undertaking a risk assessment of potential rabies exposures and the correct use of post-exposure treatment (PET)". gov.uk. Archived from the original on 2025-08-26. Retrieved 2025-08-31.