Lagos Bat Virus Infection Dynamics in Free-Ranging Straw-Colored Fruit Bats (Eidolon helvum)

SUMMARYPhylogenetic analyses suggest lyssaviruses, including Rabies virus, originated from bats. However, the role of bats in the maintenance, transmission and evolution of lyssaviruses is poorly understood. A number of genetically diverse lyssaviruses are present in Africa, including Lagos bat virus (LBV). A high seroprevalence of antibodies against LBV was detected inEidolon helvumbats. Longitudinal seroprevalence and age-specific seroprevalence data were analysed and capture–mark–recapture (CMR) analysis used to follow 98 bats over 18 months. These data demonstrate endemic infection, with evidence of horizontal transmission, and force of infection was estimated for differing age categories. The CMR analysis found survival probabilities of seronegative and seropositive bats were not significantly different. The lack of increased mortality in seropositive animals suggests infection is not causing disease after extended incubation. These key findings point towards acute transmission of bat lyssaviruses in adapted bat hosts that occurs at a far higher rate than the occurrence of disease.

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Hendra Virus Infection Dynamics in Australian Fruit Bats

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0028678 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 6 (12) ◽

pp. e28678 ◽

Cited By ~ 85

Author(s):

Hume Field ◽

Carol de Jong ◽

Deb Melville ◽

Craig Smith ◽

Ina Smith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Virus Infection ◽

Hendra Virus ◽

Fruit Bats ◽

Infection Dynamics

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Persistence of Multiple Paramyxoviruses in a Closed Captive Colony of Fruit Bats (Eidolon helvum)

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v13081659 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 1659 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Louise Gibson ◽

Maria Puig Ribas ◽

James Kemp ◽

Olivier Restif ◽

Richard D. Suu-Ire ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Emerging Diseases ◽

Fruit Bats ◽

Fatal Disease ◽

Zoonotic Viruses ◽

High Incidence ◽

Natural Hosts ◽

Free Ranging ◽

Eidolon Helvum

Bats have been identified as the natural hosts of several emerging zoonotic viruses, including paramyxoviruses, such as Hendra and Nipah viruses, that can cause fatal disease in humans. Recently, African fruit bats with populations that roost in or near urban areas have been shown to harbour a great diversity of paramyxoviruses, posing potential spillover risks to public health. Understanding the circulation of these viruses in their reservoir populations is essential to predict and prevent future emerging diseases. Here, we identify a high incidence of multiple paramyxoviruses in urine samples collected from a closed captive colony of circa 115 straw-coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum). The sequences detected have high nucleotide identities with those derived from free ranging African fruit bats and form phylogenetic clusters with the Henipavirus genus, Pararubulavirus genus and other unclassified paramyxoviruses. As this colony had been closed for 5 years prior to this study, these results indicate that within-host paramyxoviral persistence underlies the role of bats as reservoirs of these viruses.

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Persistence of Multiple Paramyxoviruses in a Closed Captive Colony of Fruit Bats (Eidolon helvum)

10.20944/preprints202107.0461.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Louise Gibson ◽

Maria Puig Rebas ◽

James Kemp ◽

Olivier Restif ◽

Richard D. Suu-Ire ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Emerging Diseases ◽

Fruit Bats ◽

Fatal Disease ◽

Zoonotic Viruses ◽

High Incidence ◽

Natural Hosts ◽

Free Ranging ◽

Eidolon Helvum

Bats have been identified as the natural hosts of several emerging zoonotic viruses, including paramyxoviruses, such as Hendra and Nipah viruses, that can cause fatal disease in humans. Recently, African fruit bats with populations that roost in or near urban areas have been shown to harbour a great diversity of paramyxoviruses, posing potential spillover risks to public health. Understanding the circulation of these viruses in their reservoir populations is essential to predict and prevent future emerging diseases. Here, we identify a high incidence of multiple paramyxoviruses in urine samples collected from a closed, captive colony of circa. 115 straw-coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum). The sequences detected have high nucleotide identities with those derived from free ranging African fruit bats and form phylogenetic clusters with the Henipavirus genus, Pararubulavirus genus and other unclassified paramyxoviruses. As this colony had been closed for 5 years prior to this study, these results indicate that within-host paramyxoviral persistence underlies the role of bats as reservoirs of these viruses.

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Commuting fruit bats beneficially modulate their flight in relation to wind

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2014.0018 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 281 (1782) ◽

pp. 20140018 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Nir Sapir ◽

Nir Horvitz ◽

Dina K. N. Dechmann ◽

Jakob Fahr ◽

Martin Wikelski

Keyword(s):

Convergent Evolution ◽

Migratory Birds ◽

Fruit Bats ◽

Movement Model ◽

Cost Of Transport ◽

Wind Drift ◽

Optimal Movement ◽

The Cost ◽

Free Ranging ◽

Eidolon Helvum

When animals move, their tracks may be strongly influenced by the motion of air or water, and this may affect the speed, energetics and prospects of the journey. Flying organisms, such as bats, may thus benefit from modifying their flight in response to the wind vector. Yet, practical difficulties have so far limited the understanding of this response for free-ranging bats. We tracked nine straw-coloured fruit bats ( Eidolon helvum ) that flew 42.5 ± 17.5 km (mean ± s.d.) to and from their roost near Accra, Ghana. Following detailed atmospheric simulations, we found that bats compensated for wind drift, as predicted under constant winds, and decreased their airspeed in response to tailwind assistance such that their groundspeed remained nearly constant. In addition, bats increased their airspeed with increasing crosswind speed. Overall, bats modulated their airspeed in relation to wind speed at different wind directions in a manner predicted by a two-dimensional optimal movement model. We conclude that sophisticated behavioural mechanisms to minimize the cost of transport under various wind conditions have evolved in bats. The bats’ response to the wind is similar to that reported for migratory birds and insects, suggesting convergent evolution of flight behaviours in volant organisms.

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Canine distemper virus infection in a lesser grison (Galictis cuja): first report and virus phylogeny

Pesquisa Veterinária Brasileira ◽

10.1590/s0100-736x2013000200018 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 33 (2) ◽

pp. 247-250 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Jane Megid ◽

Carlos R. Teixeira ◽

Adriana Cortez ◽

Marcos B. Heinemann ◽

João M.A.P. Antunes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Virus Infection ◽

Canine Distemper Virus ◽

Wildlife Conservation ◽

Domestic Animals ◽

Canine Distemper ◽

Habitat Alterations ◽

Source Of Infection ◽

First Case ◽

In Captivity ◽

Free Ranging

Infectious diseases in wild animals have been increasing as a result of their habitat alterations and closer contact with domestic animals. Canine distemper virus (CDV) has been reported in several species of wild carnivores, presenting a threat to wildlife conservation. We described the first case of canine distemper virus infection in lesser grison (Galictis cuja). A free-ranging individual, with no visible clinical sigs, presented sudden death after one day in captivity. Molecular diagnosis for CDV infection was performed using whole blood collected by postmortem intracardiac puncture, which resulted positive. The virus phylogeny indicated that domestic dogs were the probable source of infection.

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