| Title: |
Bat rabies exposures and safety practices among a self-selecting sample of French bat handlers |
| Authors: |
Marmet, Julie; Dacheux, Laurent; Worsley-Tonks, Katherine; Picard-Meyer, Evelyne; Bourhy, Hervé; Parize, Perrine |
| Contributors: |
Patrimoine naturel (PatriNat); Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-OFB Direction surveillance, évaluation,données (OFB - DSUED); Office français de la biodiversité (OFB)-Office français de la biodiversité (OFB); Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la COnservation (CESCO); Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); Lyssavirus, épidémiologie et neuropathologie - Lyssavirus Epidemiology and Neuropathology; Institut Pasteur Paris (IP)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité); Cellule d'Intervention Biologique d'Urgence (Centre National de Référence) - Laboratory for Urgent Response to Biological Threats (National Reference Center) (CIBU); Université Paris Cité (UPCité)-Environnement et Risques infectieux - Environment and Infectious Risks (ERI); Institut Pasteur Paris (IP)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité)-Institut Pasteur Paris (IP); Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail (ANSES); This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.; The authors thank Santé Publique France, the French Directorate General for Health, and the Institut Pasteur for their support. The au- thors also thank the CACCHI platform and the Institut Pasteur Clinical Research Coordination Unit for their support. |
| Source: |
ISSN: 2949-9151 ; IJID One Health ; https://hal.science/hal-05211039 ; IJID One Health, 2025, 8, pp.100079. ⟨10.1016/j.ijidoh.2025.100079⟩. |
| Publisher Information: |
CCSD; Elsevier |
| Publication Year: |
2025 |
| Subject Terms: |
Chiroptera; Lyssavirus; Rabies; Prevention; Occupational diseases; Rabies vaccine; [SDV.MHEP.MI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Infectious diseases |
| Description: |
International audience ; European bats can be infected by several lyssaviruses, the causative agents of rabies. These viruses can be transmitted from bats to humans and result in a fatal viral encephalitis. Bat handlers are at special risk of lyssavirus exposure because they regularly handle bats for conservation, scientific, and welfare purposes. Methods: An online survey was conducted among a large French network of bat handlers to evaluate the knowledge and perception of bat lyssavirus risk, safety practices, and bat exposures, as well as factors that might increase exposure risk. Results: Eligible responses were received from 130 bat handlers. Most respondents (89.2 %) reported that they had experienced at least one bat bite since they started handling bats. Awareness of the risk of bat-human lyssavirus transmission was high (82.3 % of respondents). The safety practices were implemented by most respondents: 83.1 % were vaccinated against rabies and 80.8 % systematically used gloves to handle bats. However, gaps between recommendations and practice were noted regarding post-vaccination antirabies periodic serological monitoring and recourse to post-exposure prophylaxis administration after bat exposure.Conclusions: This research provides new prospects for improving the training of bat handlers and compliance with safety practices with regard to the risk of exposure to the bat lyssaviruses. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| DOI: |
10.1016/j.ijidoh.2025.100079 |
| Availability: |
https://hal.science/hal-05211039; https://hal.science/hal-05211039v1/document; https://hal.science/hal-05211039v1/file/1-s2.0-S2949915125000277-main.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijidoh.2025.100079 |
| Rights: |
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ ; info:eu-repo/semantics/OpenAccess |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.84A3AAD1 |
| Database: |
BASE |