Abstract: Objective To investigate the prevalence of serum antibodies against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) in bats.
Methods Blood samples from the heart were obtained from bats captured in Guangdong and Hainan Provinces in 2013. The
anti-JEV antibodies in bat sera were tested using indirect ELISA and virus neutralization test. Results A total of 201 bat serum
samples were tested, in which the total positivity rate of anti-JEV antibodies was 46.27% (93/201). The positive rate of anti-JEV
antibodies in bats from Hainan and Guangdong Provinces was 88.89% (48/54) and 30.61% (45/147), respectively. All the
samples from Rousettus leschenaultia, Miniopterus schreibersii, Pipistrellus abramus, and Rhinolophus macrotis were positive for
anti-JEV antibodies, and up to 95.56% (43/45) of the samples from Miniopterus schreibersii (from Hainan Province) yielded
positive results. Of the 28 samples with positive results by indirect ELISA, 15 showed positive results in virus neutralization
test (53.57%) with neutralization antibody titers ranging from 1∶10 to 1∶28.22. Conclusion Bats from different regions and of
different species can be naturally infected with JEV and have a high prevalence of anti-JEV antibodies in their sera. The role of
bats in the natural cycle of JEV awaits further study.