Bat Rabies: A Growing Threat to Cattle in Latin America

Rabies, a disease shared between animals and humans, is a big problem in rural Latin America. It hurts food security and the economy by killing many animals. The common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, is the main reason this happens. These bats spread the rabies virus (RABV) to cows, causing outbreaks. From 1970 to 2023, there were around 450 outbreaks each year in countries where the bat lives. Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Mexico had the most outbreaks. This is a worrying trend, especially since the 2000s. More outbreaks were reported, but they were smaller and didn't kill as many cows.

Some countries like Peru, El Salvador, and Brazil had strong links between rabies in bats and cows. This means when bat rabies goes up, cow rabies also increases. Keeping an eye on bat health could help catch outbreaks early. Current data can help predict when and where rabies will hit hardest. Smaller outbreaks might show that prevention methods, like vaccination and education, are working. However, the increase in outbreaks suggests there could be more factors helping the virus spread between species.

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