NEWS AND PERSPECTIVES Exposure to rabies virus in a population of free-ranging capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella nigritus) in a fragmented, environmentally protected area in southeastern Brazil Gustavo Puglia Machado • Joa ˜o Marcelo Azevedo de Paula Antunes • Wilson Uieda • Alexander Welker Biondo • Tatiana Morosini de Andrade Cruvinel • Ana Paula Kataoka • Luzia Fa ´tima Alves Martorelli • David de Jong • Jeanne Margareth Gimenes Amaral • Estevam Guilherme Lux Hoppe • Guilherme Guerra Neto • Jane Megid Received: 30 November 2011 / Accepted: 1 March 2012 / Published online: 20 March 2012 Ó Japan Monkey Centre and Springer 2012 Abstract The aim of this study is to assess the frequency of rabies antibodies in free-ranging capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella nigritus) in a fragmented, environmentally protected, rural area of southeastern Brazil. Thirty-six free- ranging monkeys were tested by the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test for detection of antibodies against rabies virus. Four individuals (11.11 %) had neutralizing anti- body titers C0.25 IU/mL, demonstrating rabies virus exposure. Keywords Rabies Á Capuchin monkeys Á Cebus apella nigritus Introduction Rabies is a worldwide, highly fatal, acute encephalomy- elitis illness caused by a Lyssavirus. The disease is con- sidered the primary zoonosis in several Latin American countries, including Venezuela, Colombia, and Brazil (Benitez et al. 2008), although all mammals are believed to be susceptible to the disease, and wildlife may constitute a public health threat to local residents (WHO 1998). In three decades (1980–2009), Brazil reported 198 human cases of rabies transmitted by wild animals, of which monkeys transmitted 20 cases. Nonhuman primates are the third most common transmitters of rabies to humans, after car- nivores (dogs and cats) and bats (Brasil 2000). Accidents involving monkeys may occur in public parks due to G. P. Machado Á J. M. A. de Paula Antunes Á J. Megid Department of Veterinary Hygiene and Public Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, Sa ˜o Paulo State University, UNESP, Botucatu, SP 18618-000, Brazil W. Uieda Department of Zoology, Biosciences Institute, Sa ˜o Paulo State University, UNESP, Botucatu, SP 18618-970, Brazil A. W. Biondo Department of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Parana ´, UFPR, Curitiba 80035-050, Brazil A. W. Biondo University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61802, USA T. M. de Andrade Cruvinel Department of Clinical Pathology and Microbiology, UNIRP-Centro Universita ´rio de Rio Preto, Sa ˜o Jose ´ do Rio Preto, SP 15025-540, Brazil A. P. Kataoka Á L. F. A. Martorelli CCZ-Zoonosis Control Center, State Reference Laboratory for Rabies Diagnosis, Sa ˜o Paulo 01221-010, Brazil D. de Jong Á J. M. G. Amaral Department of Genetics, University of Sa ˜o Paulo, Ribeira ˜o Preto, SP, Brazil E. G. L. Hoppe Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Sa ˜o Paulo State University, UNESP, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil G. G. Neto Ribeira ˜o Preto, SP, Brazil J. Megid (&) Departamento de Higiene Veterina ´ria e Sau ´de Pu ´blica, Faculdade de Medicina Veterina ´ria e Zootecnia (FMVZ), Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP), Distrito de Rubia ˜o Ju ´nior s/n, Botucatu, SP 18618-970, Brazil e-mail: jane@fmvz.unesp.br 123 Primates (2012) 53:227–231 DOI 10.1007/s10329-012-0306-6