scholarly journals Temporal patterns of vampire bat rabies and host connectivity in Belize

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Becker ◽  
Alice Broos ◽  
Laura M. Bergner ◽  
Diana K. Meza ◽  
Nancy B. Simmons ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rabies Virus ◽  
Reservoir Host ◽  
Phase Lag ◽  
Microsatellite Data ◽  
Spatial Spread ◽  
Infection Dynamics ◽  
Vampire Bats ◽  
Virus Exposure ◽  
Bat Rabies ◽  
Vampire Bat

AbstractIn the Neotropics, vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) are the main reservoir host for rabies, a highly fatal encephalitis caused by viruses in the genus Lyssavirus. Although patterns of rabies virus exposure and infection have been well-studied for vampire bats in South America and Mexico, exploring the ecology of vampire bat rabies in other regions is crucial for predicting risks to livestock and humans. In Belize, rabies outbreaks in livestock have increased in recent years, underscoring the need for systematic data on viral dynamics in vampire bats. In this study, we examine the first three years of a longitudinal study on the ecology of vampire bat rabies in northern Belize. Rabies seroprevalence in bats was high across years (29–80%), suggesting active and endemic virus circulation. Across two locations, the seroprevalence time series per site were inversely related and out of phase by at least a year. Microsatellite data demonstrated historic panmixia of vampire bats, and mark–recapture detected rare but contemporary inter-site dispersal. This degree of movement could facilitate spatial spread of rabies virus but is likely insufficient to synchronize infection dynamics, which offers one explanation for the observed phase lag in seroprevalence. More broadly, our analyses suggest frequent transmission of rabies virus within and among vampire bat roosts in northern Belize and highlight the need for future spatiotemporal, phylogenetic, and ecological studies of vampire bat rabies in Central America.

scholarly journals Complete Genome Sequence of a Vampire Bat Rabies Virus from French Guiana

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Lavergne ◽  
Edith Darcissac ◽  
Hervé Bourhy ◽  
Sourakhata Tirera ◽  
Benoît de Thoisy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rabies Virus ◽  
Genome Sequence ◽  
Complete Genome Sequence ◽  
Complete Genome ◽  
French Guiana ◽  
Genomic Sequence ◽  
Amazon Region ◽  
Desmodus Rotundus ◽  
Bat Rabies ◽  
Vampire Bat

A rabies virus was detected in a common vampire bat ( Desmodus rotundus ) in French Guiana. Its genomic sequence was obtained and found to be closely related to other hematophagous bat-related viruses that widely circulate in the northern Amazon region. This virus is named AT6.

scholarly journals Epidemiology and biology of a herpesvirus in rabies endemic vampire bat populations

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan E. Griffiths ◽  
Laura M. Bergner ◽  
Alice Broos ◽  
Diana K. Meza ◽  
Ana da Silva Filipe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Viral Vectors ◽  
Vaccine Coverage ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Reservoir Host ◽  
Wild Type Virus ◽  
Molecular Evidence ◽  
Promising Candidate ◽  
Vampire Bats ◽  
Neotropical Bats ◽  
Vampire Bat

AbstractRabies is a viral zoonosis transmitted by vampire bats across Latin America. Substantial public health and agricultural burdens remain, despite decades of bats culls and livestock vaccinations. Virally vectored vaccines that spread autonomously through bat populations are a theoretically appealing solution to managing rabies in its reservoir host. We investigate the biological and epidemiological suitability of a vampire bat betaherpesvirus (DrBHV) to act as a vaccine vector. In 25 sites across Peru with serological and/or molecular evidence of rabies circulation, DrBHV infects 80–100% of bats, suggesting potential for high population-level vaccine coverage. Phylogenetic analysis reveals host specificity within neotropical bats, limiting risks to non-target species. Finally, deep sequencing illustrates DrBHV super-infections in individual bats, implying that DrBHV-vectored vaccines might invade despite the highly prevalent wild-type virus. These results indicate DrBHV as a promising candidate vector for a transmissible rabies vaccine, and provide a framework to discover and evaluate candidate viral vectors for vaccines against bat-borne zoonoses.

scholarly journals Persistence of Rabies Virus-Neutralizing Antibodies after Vaccination of Rural Population following Vampire Bat Rabies Outbreak in Brazil

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. e0004920 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Medeiros ◽  
Viviane Jusot ◽  
Guy Houillon ◽  
Anvar Rasuli ◽  
Luzia Martorelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rabies Virus ◽  
Rural Population ◽  
Neutralizing Antibodies ◽  
Bat Rabies ◽  
Vampire Bat

scholarly journals Serological Surveillance of Rabies in Free-Range and Captive Common Vampire Bats Desmodus rotundus

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Megid ◽  
Julio Andre Benavides Tala ◽  
Laís Dário Belaz Silva ◽  
Fernando Favian Castro Castro ◽  
Bruna Letícia Devidé Ribeiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Populations ◽  
Desmodus Rotundus ◽  
Vampire Bats ◽  
In Captivity ◽  
Antibody Titers ◽  
Serological Surveillance ◽  
At Risk Populations ◽  
Bat Rabies ◽  
Fluorescent Focus ◽  
Vampire Bat

The control of vampire bat rabies (VBR) in Brazil is based on the culling of Desmodus rotundus and the surveillance of outbreaks caused by D. rotundus in cattle and humans in addition to vaccination of susceptible livestock. The detection of anti-rabies antibodies in vampire bats indicates exposure to the rabies virus, and several studies have reported an increase of these antibodies following experimental infection. However, the dynamics of anti-rabies antibodies in natural populations of D. rotundus remains poorly understood. In this study, we took advantage of recent outbreaks of VBR among livestock in the Sao Paulo region of Brazil to test whether seroprevalence in D. rotundus reflects the incidence of rabies in nearby livestock populations. Sixty-four D. rotundus were captured during and after outbreaks from roost located in municipalities belonging to three regions with different incidences of rabies in herbivores. Sixteen seropositive bats were then kept in captivity for up to 120 days, and their antibodies and virus levels were quantified at different time points using the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT). Antibody titers were associated with the occurrence of ongoing outbreak, with a higher proportion of bats showing titer >0.5 IU/ml in the region with a recent outbreak. However, low titers were still detected in bats from regions reporting the last outbreak of rabies at least 3 years prior to sampling. This study suggests that serological surveillance of rabies in vampire bats can be used as a tool to evaluate risk of outbreaks in at risk populations of cattle and human.

scholarly journals Crab fisherman communities in north Brazil: a new high risk population for vampire bat rabies

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nailde de Paula Silva ◽  
Elane Araújo Andrade ◽  
Denis Cardoso ◽  
Ruth de Souza Guimarães ◽  
Mateus Borges Silva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical Care ◽  
Rabies Virus ◽  
The State ◽  
High Risk Population ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Study Region ◽  
North Brazil ◽  
Vampire Bats ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics ◽  
Vampire Bat

AbstractAn outbreak of human rabies transmitted by hematophagous bats occurred in 2018 in the state of Pará, Brazil, eastern Amazon, after 14 years with no record of the disease. It is necessary to understand the epidemiological characteristics of these attacks to protect the local population. This study aimed to characterize attacks of humans by vampire bats in the municipality of São João da Ponta, Pará state, Brazil, from 2013 to 2015. All individuals attacked by bats who sought medical care during the study period (n=5) were identified in the Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) database and answered a questionnaire about the circumstances of the attack. Using snowball sampling, seed cases identified other individuals who were attacked in the same period but did not seek medical care (n=61), totalizing 66 people attacked in the same period. The interviewees were male (92.4%), adults between 20 and 50 years old (69.6%) and had completed elementary education (86.3%). Most were rural residents (92.4%) and crab fishermen (79.3%). The interviewees (92.4%) identified the mangrove of the Mãe Grande de Curuçá extractive reserve as an area conducive to attacks by vampire bats, where groups of fishermen sometimes concentrate for days for crab fishing, often living in improvised dwellings without walls and covered by tarps or straw (88.8%). The wounds were single bites (71.2%) and were located on the lower limbs (93.9%). Overall, 42.4% of participants had been bitten more than four times throughout their life (range 1-23 attacks). Participants were unaware of the risk of contracting rabies by the bite (95.4%). Using São João da Ponta as a model, this study shows that bat attacks are an essentially occupational problem in the study region. Indeed, for each reported attack, there are 12.2 unreported cases. It is necessary to develop strategies to reach this population for prophylactic treatment.Author SummaryDifferent from which occurs worldwide in relation to rabies transmission, in Amazon region, vampire bat is involved on direct transmission of rabies virus to humans when searching for bloodmeal. It is common in the state of Pará, Eastern Amazon, large areas inhabited near forests and mangroves. People living there use forest natural resources as a way of income and sustenance and these working conditions is what our study points out as an important factor for aggressions predisposition. Here this subject is shown as an occupational problem. This study also quantified for the first time underreported human’s aggressions by bats in Amazon, using the snowball sampling, which valued the relationship between individuals to reach the target population. Based on these results, rabies surveillance may direct actions for prevention and health education for these individuals, including changes in notifications forms and suggesting pre-exposure prophylaxis in vaccination calendar of the Brazilian Ministry of Health for these individuals exposed to the rabies virus.

scholarly journals Host–pathogen evolutionary signatures reveal dynamics and future invasions of vampire bat rabies

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (39) ◽  
pp. 10926-10931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel G. Streicker ◽  
Jamie C. Winternitz ◽  
Dara A. Satterfield ◽  
Rene Edgar Condori-Condori ◽  
Alice Broos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Pacific Coast ◽  
Nuclear Dna ◽  
Population Connectivity ◽  
Mortality Data ◽  
Landscape Resistance ◽  
Spatial Spread ◽  
Viral Spread ◽  
Bat Rabies ◽  
Vampire Bat

Anticipating how epidemics will spread across landscapes requires understanding host dispersal events that are notoriously difficult to measure. Here, we contrast host and virus genetic signatures to resolve the spatiotemporal dynamics underlying geographic expansions of vampire bat rabies virus (VBRV) in Peru. Phylogenetic analysis revealed recent viral spread between populations that, according to extreme geographic structure in maternally inherited host mitochondrial DNA, appeared completely isolated. In contrast, greater population connectivity in biparentally inherited nuclear microsatellites explained the historical limits of invasions, suggesting that dispersing male bats spread VBRV between genetically isolated female populations. Host nuclear DNA further indicated unanticipated gene flow through the Andes mountains connecting the VBRV-free Pacific coast to the VBRV-endemic Amazon rainforest. By combining Bayesian phylogeography with landscape resistance models, we projected invasion routes through northern Peru that were validated by real-time livestock rabies mortality data. The first outbreaks of VBRV on the Pacific coast of South America could occur by June 2020, which would have serious implications for agriculture, wildlife conservation, and human health. Our results show that combining host and pathogen genetic data can identify sex biases in pathogen spatial spread, which may be a widespread but underappreciated phenomenon, and demonstrate that genetic forecasting can aid preparedness for impending viral invasions.

scholarly journals Phylogeny of a rabies virus identified in a cat closely related to vampire bat rabies based on the nucleoprotein gene

2005 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Carnieli Jr. ◽  
Paulo E. Brandão ◽  
Juliana G. Castilho ◽  
Carlos R. Bueno ◽  
Maria L. Carrieri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rabies Virus ◽  
Nucleoprotein Gene ◽  
Bat Rabies ◽  
Vampire Bat

Experimental infection of Artibeus intermedius with a vampire bat rabies virus

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 43-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cirani Obregón-Morales ◽  
Álvaro Aguilar-Setién ◽  
Leonardo Perea Martínez ◽  
Guillermo Galvez-Romero ◽  
Flor Olivia Martínez-Martínez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rabies Virus ◽  
Experimental Infection ◽  
Bat Rabies ◽  
Vampire Bat

scholarly journals The emergence of vampire bat rabies in Uruguay within a historical context

2019 ◽  
Vol 147 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Botto Nuñez ◽  
D. J. Becker ◽  
R. K. Plowright
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Statistical Modelling ◽  
Historical Records ◽  
Vampire Bats ◽  
Alternative Hypotheses ◽  
Virus Emergence ◽  
Bat Rabies ◽  
Vampire Bat

AbstractPathogen spillover from wildlife to humans or domestic animals requires a series of conditions to align with space and time. Comparing these conditions between times and locations where spillover does and does not occur presents opportunities to understand the factors that shape spillover risk. Bovine rabies transmitted by vampire bats was first confirmed in 1911 and has since been detected across the distribution of vampire bats. However, Uruguay is an exception. Uruguay was free of bovine rabies until 2007, despite high-cattle densities, the presence of vampire bats and a strong surveillance system. To explore why Uruguay was free of bovine rabies until recently, we review the historic literature and reconstruct the conditions that would allow rabies invasion into Uruguay. We used available historical records on the abundance of livestock and wildlife, the vampire bat distribution and occurrence of rabies outbreaks, as well as environmental modifications, to propose four alternative hypotheses to explain rabies virus emergence and spillover: bat movement, viral invasion, surveillance failure and environmental changes. While future statistical modelling efforts will be required to disentangle these hypotheses, we here show how a detailed historical analysis can be used to generate testable predictions for the conditions leading to pathogen spillover.

scholarly journals Prey choice of the common vampire bat on introduced species in an Atlantic forest land-bridge island

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Gonçalves ◽  
Marcelo Magioli ◽  
Ricardo S. Bovendorp ◽  
Katia Maria Paschoaletto Micchi de Barros Ferraz ◽  
Letícia Bulascoschi Cagnoni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Domestic Animals ◽  
Mean Value ◽  
Prey Choice ◽  
Potential Prey ◽  
Land Bridge ◽  
Predator Species ◽  
Vampire Bats ◽  
The Common ◽  
Bat Rabies ◽  
Vampire Bat

AbstractThe proliferation of native, alien, invasive and domestic species provide novel and abundant food resources for the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) that could alter its prey preference. Based on the analysis of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes, we report the prey choice of D. rotundus on introduced mammals in an tropical land-bridge island where the domestic animals were removed and 100 individuals of 15 mammal species were intentionally introduced. Our analysis shows that, D. rotundus on Anchieta Island were more likely to prey upon species from open habitats (mean value of −14.8‰), i.e., animals with high δ13C values characterized by the consumption of C4 resources. As expected for a top predator species, δ15N values for D. rotundus were higher (mean value of 8.2‰) and overlapped the niche of the capybaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) from the Anchieta Island, while it was distant from coatis, and also from those potential prey from the preserved area in the mainland, including the capybaras, indicating that among all potential mammalian prey species, they fed exclusively on capybaras, the highest mammalian biomass on island. Based on previous information on human occupation, the domestic animals present on Anchieta island might be the main prey of D. rotundus and responsible for maintaining a viable population. As the capybaras were introduced only 36 years ago, this suggests a rapid prey shift due to anthropogenic disturbances, which has allowed common vampire bats to successfully exploit them. Literature records also show that common vampire bats were not captured in preserved areas of the mainland which are near Anchieta Island indicating that the percentage of capture of D. rotundus is usually low in natural forested habitats where potential prey are scattered. As three individuals of introduced capybaras were confirmed died from bat rabies viruses (RABV) in 2020, we suggest periodic monitoring of bat rabies viruses in common vampire bat populations on Anchieta Island and areas nearby, in order to quantify the magnitude of the outbreak area and develop strategies for controlling, especially considering that the island and areas nearby is frequently visited by tourists. We highlighted that this prey choice is context-dependent, and possibly influenced by the removal of domestic animals, the explosive population growth of introduced capybaras combined with their predictable foraging behavior.

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