Until 2008, human rabies had never been reported in French
Guiana. On 28 May 2008, the French National Reference Center for
Rabies (Institut Pasteur, Paris) confirmed the rabies diagnosis,
based on hemi-nested polymerase chain reaction on skin biopsy
and saliva specimens from a Guianan, who had never travelled
overseas and died in Cayenne after presenting clinically typical
meningoencephalitis. Molecular typing of the virus identified a
Lyssavirus (Rabies virus species), closely related to those
circulating in hematophagous bats (mainly Desmodus rotundus) in
Latin America. A multidisciplinary Crisis Unit was activated.
Its objectives were to implement an epidemiological
investigation and a veterinary survey, to provide control
measures and establish a communications program. The origin of
the contamination was not formally established, but was probably
linked to a bat bite based on the virus type isolated. After
confirming exposure of 90 persons, they were vaccinated against
rabies: 42 from the case's entoura