A study led by the University of Wisconsin, USA, has proposed a new strategy to control rabies, a viral disease spread by bats to cattle, pigs, horses, dogs, and cats. In tests, the researchers applied a fluorescent gel containing a rabies vaccine to 24 common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus), representing 20% of a colony in Mexico. Because the animals lick each other, subsequent captures detected the gel on 83% of the colony—nearly all females and juveniles. In the city of São Paulo, rabies has been detected in fruit bats and insectivorous bats, which can transmit the disease if caught by dogs or cats or handled by people improperly. It is crucial to keep pets vaccinated, and to call the health authorities if you find a bat on the ground (BioRxiv, June 12).
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