Lagos bat virus

Lagos bat virus (LBV) is a Lyssavirus of southern and central Africa that causes a rabies-like illness in mammals. It was first isolated from a fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) from Lagos Island, Nigeria in 1956 ^[1]. Brain samples from the bat showed poor cross-reactivity to rabies antibodies but the virus was found to be closely related to the rabies virus. This was the first discovery of a rabies-related virus. Until this time, rabies was thought to have a single causal agent.^{[citation needed]}

Lagos bat virus
Virus classification
(unranked):	Virus
Realm:	Riboviria
Kingdom:	Orthornavirae
Phylum:	Negarnaviricota
Class:	Monjiviricetes
Order:	Mononegavirales
Family:	Rhabdoviridae
Genus:	Lyssavirus
Species:	Lyssavirus lagos
Synonyms
Lagos bat lyssavirus

Lagos bat virus has been isolated from wild and domestic mammals in southern Africa including bats, cats and one dog.^[2] One isolate was detected in France in 1999 when a fruit bat (Rousettus egypticus), which had been displaying signs of aggression, died. The bat had been imported from Africa ^[3].

Four cases of Australian bat lyssavirus (ALBV) have been documented in humans in various regions of Australia ^[4]. There is no cure for lyssavirus, but it is closely enough related to rabies that all of the preventative measures for rabies, including vaccines and post-exposure treatment, are usually successful in preventing development of the disease. Post-exposure treatment involves immediate wound care, a series of four rabies vaccinations given over 14 days, and prompt administration of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG) antibodies ^[5][6]. It is rare for post-exposure treatment to fail.