Minimal risk of Rabies lyssavirus spillover from bats in Israel: findings from long-term surveillance

Rabies, caused by viruses of the genus <i>Lyssavirus</i> (family Rhabdoviridae), remains a persistent public health and veterinary challenge in Israel, a small but strategically positioned country at the crossroads of Africa, Asia, and Europe. Over the past 18 years (2006-2024), more than 670 confirmed rabies cases have been reported in humans, wildlife, farm animals, and stray dogs, with the latest human fatality recorded in November 2024, following a bite from an unvaccinated dog. While domestic dogs (<i>Canis familiaris</i>) and golden jackals (<i>Canis aureus</i>) account for the majority of cases, little is known about the role of Israel's 32 bat species in the circulation of <i>Lyssavirus rabies</i>. We analyzed national rabies testing records spanning nearly three decades (1995-2022), encompassing over 42,000 animals. Among the 294 bats tested, representing both insectivorous and frugivorous species, none were positive for rabies virus (<i>R. lyssavirus;</i> RABV). These findings contrast sharply with the high prevalence detected in carnivores and livestock and align with the absence of documented bat-to-human transmission events in Israel. These results suggest that bats in Israel remain largely isolated from the <i>Lyssavirus</i> transmission cycles affecting other domestic and wild mammals and may pose minimal risk for rabies or other <i>Lyssavirus</i> spillover in the region. They also underscore the significance of sustained long-term surveillance to detect emerging <i>Lyssavirus</i> threats.