Spatial characterization and identification of chiroptera shelters and their relation to cases of rabies in production animals in semi-arid, Brazil, from 2007 to 2015

The rabies virus propagates through several epidemiological cycles, which makes it difficult to control and predict. Thus, this study was structured with the aim of establishing the geospatial characterization of bat shelters in different semi-arid mesoregions of the state of Paraiba, Northeastern region of Brazil. Data provided by the Secretaria de Estado do Desenvolvimento da Agropecuaria e da Pesca da Paraiba (SEDAP-PB), from 2007 to 2015 and data from digital platforms were used. The geographic representation was produced using the software QGIS 2.16.0 - Nodebo. To verify virus circulation sites, buffers were plotted within a 10-km radius from the registered shelters and rabies incidence sites in the state. A registry of 93 shelters in the period between 2007 and 2015 were distributed in 22 municipalities and 15 microregions. All mesoregions were represented, though 47.31% of the bat shelters were located in Agreste Paraibano. Of the total registered shelters, 66 (71%) are classified as artificial, and 27 (29%) as natural. The underreporting of rabies occurrences reveals the need to improve the registration of hematophagous bat shelters, specifically those for the D. rotundus species.