Bat Rabies and Other Lyssavirus Infections

The USGS National Wildlife Health Center is pleased to announce the publication of Circular 1329 -- Bat Rabies and Other Lyssavirus Infections.

Bat Rabies describes the worldwide occurrence of rabies in bats, its origins, how it spreads, and the degree of threat it poses to people, pets, farm animals, and wildlife. The book offers readers an overview of the virus variants that cause bat rabies and geographical patterns of occurrence.

Bat Rabies combines current science about bat rabies with rich illustrations and personal stories from the field. The author, Denny G. Constantine, is widely considered one of the world’s foremost authorities on rabies. He presents the material in a simple, straightforward manner that and provides a balanced perspective on the risk of bat rabies to animals, people and ecosystems.

Milt Friend, first director of the USGS National Wildlife Health Center, wrote the foreword. The book’s sections include:

• Species Susceptibility describes infection rates and trends in humans, bats, and other animals.
• Disease Ecology considers the dynamics of the disease in various species of bats.
• Points to Ponder discusses the narrowing interface of bat colonies and human society and how people and domestic animals play a role in transmission of bat rabies.
• Disease Prevention and Control outlines ways to limit exposure to rabid bats and other animals.
• Appendices include tables of reported infections in people and in bat species. A glossary of technical terms is included.

Obtain a printed copy

Printed copies are available from the USGS Store (Product #213560) and from the USGS National Wildlife Health Center.

Download an electronic copy

An electronic version of Bat Rabies is available for download free of charge. The book is in PDF format, you will need a PDF reader (like Adobe Reader) installed on your computer to read pdf files.

Download the entire manual as one file Bat Rabies and Other Lyssavirus Infections ~3.9 MB