Volume 14, Number 8—August 2008 Endemic Circulation of European
Bat Lyssavirus Type 1 in Serotine Bats, Spain To determine the
presence of European bat lyssavirus type 1 in southern Spain, we
studied 19 colonies of serotine bats (Eptesicus isabellinus),
its main reservoir, during 1998–2003. Viral genome and
antibodies were detected in healthy bats, which suggests
subclinical infection. The different temporal patterns of
circulation found in each colony indicate independent endemic
circulation. The serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus) is
considered the main reservoir for European bat lyssavirus type 1
(EBLV1). Recently, southern Iberian populations of this species
have been classified as E. isabellinus (1), a bat species
previously known to exist only in North Africa. In 1989, 5
EBLV1-infected serotine bats were found dead during a survey of
natural colonies in Huelva (Andalusia). The prevalence of EBLV1
antibodies was up to 20% among completely healthy bats that were
recaptured 1 year later, providing the first