Bat-transmitted Human Rabies

We describe 2 bat-transmitted outbreaks in remote,rural areas of Portel and Viseu Municipalities, Para State,northern Brazil. Central nervous system specimens weretaken after patients’ deaths and underwent immunofluores-cent assay and histopathologic examination for rabies anti-gens; also, specimens were injected intracerebrally intosuckling mice in an attempt to isolate the virus. Strainsobtained were antigenically and genetically characterized.Twenty-one persons died due to paralytic rabies in the 2municipalities. Ten rabies virus strains were isolated fromhuman specimens; 2 other cases were diagnosed byhistopathologic examination. Isolates were antigenicallycharacterized as