Australian Bat Lyssavirus

Australian Bat Lyssavirus

Australian bat lyssavirus (ABLV) (initially named pteropid lyssavirus PLV) is a zoonotic virus closely related to rabies virus. It was first identified in a 5-month old juvenile Black Flying Fox (Pteropus alecto) collected near Ballina in northern New South Wales, Australia in 1996 during a national surveillance program for the recently identified Hendra virus. ABLV is the seventh member of the lyssavirus genus (which includes rabies virus) and the only lyssavirus family member present in Australia.