Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41787025›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2026

A cross-sectional serological study of bats in the United States Virgin Islands during 2019 to 2020 reveals no evidence of rabies virus exposure.

A Springer Browne, Hannah M Cranford, Danielle Fibikar, Clint N Morgan, James A Ellison, David Horner, Valicia J Burke-France, Cosme Harrison, Marissa Taylor, Pearl S Cales and 14 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

24 authors.

A Springer BrowneEpidemic Intelligence Service, Division of Workforce Development, National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA. drspringerbrowne@gmail.com.
Hannah M CranfordUS Virgin Islands Department of Health, Christiansted, VI, USA.
Danielle FibikarCollege of Staten Island, New York, NY, USA.
Clint N MorganPoxvirus and Rabies Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
James A EllisonPoxvirus and Rabies Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
David HornerNational Park Service, St. John, VI, USA.
Valicia J Burke-FranceUS Virgin Islands Department of Health, Christiansted, VI, USA.
Cosme HarrisonUS Virgin Islands Department of Health, Christiansted, VI, USA.
Marissa TaylorUS Virgin Islands Department of Health, Christiansted, VI, USA.
Pearl S CalesCollege of Staten Island, New York, NY, USA.
Claudia D LombardUS Fish & Wildlife Service, Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge, St. Croix, VI, USA.
Leanne JankelunasDivision of Workforce Development, National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Nicole F AngeliDepartment of Planning and Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife, St. Croix, VI, USA.
Jenn ValiulisSt. Croix Environmental Association, St. Croix, VI, USA.
Jeffrey B DotyPoxvirus and Rabies Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
David J WorthingtonDepartment of Planning and Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife, St. Croix, VI, USA.
Thomas KelleyNational Park Service, St. John, VI, USA.
Bethany BradfordUS Virgin Islands Department of Agriculture, Kingshill, VI, USA.
Joseph RothUS Virgin Islands Department of Health, Christiansted, VI, USA.
Kristine M BisgardDivision of Workforce Development, National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Brett R EllisUS Virgin Islands Department of Health, Christiansted, VI, USA.
Renata PlatenbergUniversity of the Virgin Islands, Charlotte Amalie, VI, USA.
Esther M EllisUS Virgin Islands Department of Health, Christiansted, VI, USA.
Ryan WallacePoxvirus and Rabies Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Bats are a known reservoir of rabies virus in 10 Caribbean nations. A cross-sectional survey of five species of native bats on U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Croix, St. John, and St. Thomas was performed during September 2019–January 2020. Serological testing was used to determine whether native bat populations have been exposed to rabies virus. Bats (n = 72) from seven sampling locations in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) all tested negative for rabies neutralizing antibodies. The sensitivity of detection of rabies virus antibodies ranged from 49.4% to 100%, depending on geography, bat species clustering, and presumed prevalence. A previous rabies cross-sectional survey conducted during 2019–2020 led by the USVI Department of Health determined freedom-from-rabies for small Indian mongoose (Urva auropunctata) populations in U.S. Virgin Islands. These findings, along with a historical absence of rabies detections in passive surveillance of dogs, cats, and wildlife, supports an evidence base that USVI may be rabies-free. These surveillance activities built local One Health capacity and fostered federal, university, and territory collaboration in USVI. Continued surveillance will help determine a declaration of rabies freedom for USVI.

Indexed as

ChiropteraRabiesRabies virusAnimalsAntibodies, ViralCross-Sectional StudiesUnited States Virgin IslandsAntibodies, ViralBatsCaribbeanOne-HealthRabiesUS Virgin IslandsZoonoses

Identifiers

PMID41787025
PMCPMC13077009

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.