On 1. 8. 2024, the National reference laboratory for rabies at SVÚ Prague confirmed the presence of rabies virus in an serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus) sent for confirmation from SVÚ Olomouc. Subsequent sequence analysis identified a rabies strain belonging to the European bat lyssavirus 1 (EBLV 1) group.
The EBLV 1 genotype, together with EBLV 2, is one of the most common rabies viruses in european bat species. Although these are dangerous zoonotic viruses, transmission to humans is historically rare and only possible after direct exposure to an infected individual. The last case of rabies virus in a bat was confirmed in 2015, when the same EBLV 1 genotype was identified.