ABSTRACT
If a single species were to be selected to represent the Neo-Tropical fauna, the logical choice would be the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, not only because of its widespread distribution throughout the Americas. Carini suggested that the rabid vampire bat was responsible for this explosive mortality. A characteristic feature of vampire bat rabies is the suddenness of its attacks and the high mortality of cattle. The economic impact of vampire-bat-transmitted rabies in cattle in Tropical America is significant. It should be pointed out that since the large epizootics of vampire rabies in cattle during the 1950s, great advances have taken place in the prophylaxis and control of this disease. In 1985 a study was made of 14 countries of Latin America to update information about vampire bat rabies cases in cattle during the years 1983 to 1984, together with estimated economic losses suffered by the cattle industry due to bat biting and cattle deaths.
