Bokeloh bat lyssavirus
Bokeloh bat lyssavirus is negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus of the genus Lyssavirus first isolated from a Natterer's bat found in Bokeloh, Lower Saxony, Germany in 2010.
Bokeloh bat lyssavirus was found in Myotis nattereri for the first time in northeastern France in July 2012. The complete genome sequence of the virus from the infected Natterer's bat was determined by whole genome sequencing and compared to that of the first BBLV strain isolated in 2010 in Germany and with those of all currently identified lyssaviruses. The French isolate showed 98.7% nucleotide sequence identity to the German BBLV strain . Several organs of the infected French bat were examined by classical rabies diagnostic methods: fluorescent antibody test, cell culture inoculation test and RT-qPCR. Antigen, infectious virus, and high viral RNA levels were found in both the brain and salivary glands. Traces of genomic RNA were detected in the bladder, kidney, and lung tissue. The results of an investigation of the distribution of lyssaviruses with the detection of infectious virus in the salivary glands suggest a possible mode of transmission of the virus.
