A database of common vampire bat reports

Vuurst, Paige Van de; Díaz, M. Mónica; Pedro, Annia Rodríguez-San; Allendes‬, ‪Juan Luis; Brown, Natalie; Rodríguez, Juan David Gutiérrez; Zarza, Heliot; Oliveira, Stefan Vilges de; Cárdenas-Canales, Elsa M.; Bárquez, Rubén M.; Escobar, Luis E.

doi:10.1038/s41597-022-01140-9

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…However, the number of bites is expected to be higher since these events are often unreported ( 45 ). Several investigators have also described a high incidence of vampire bats foraging on humans (up to 88% of the inhabitants) in tropical ecological conditions similar to those presented here ( 10 , 17 , 45 , 55 - 59 ). Humans are abundant potential diurnal prey that have not developed natural defense mechanisms against vampire bat attacks when these chiropters hunt for blood at night.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Virulent Brucella nosferati infecting Desmodus rotundus has emerging potential due to the broad foraging range of its bat host for humans and wild and domestic animals

Hernández-Mora,

Chacón-Díaz,

Moreira-Soto

et al. 2023

mSphere

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Desmodus rotundus, vampire bats, transmit dangerous infections, and brucellosis is a hazardous zoonotic disease, two adversities that coexist in the subtropical and tropical areas of the American continent. Here, we report a 47.89% Brucella infection prevalence in a colony of vampire bats inhabiting the tropical rainforest of Costa Rica. The bacterium induced placentitis and fetal death in bats. Wide-range phenotypic and genotypic characterization placed the Brucella organisms as a new pathogenic species named Brucella nosferati sp. nov., isolated from bat tissues, including the salivary glands, suggesting feeding behavior might favor transmission to their prey. Overall analyses placed B. nosferati as the etiological agent of a reported canine brucellosis case, demonstrating its potential for infecting other hosts. To assess the putative prey hosts, we analyzed the intestinal contents of 14 infected and 23 non-infected bats by proteomics. A total of 54,508 peptides sorted into 7,203 unique peptides corresponding to 1,521 proteins were identified. Twenty-three wildlife and domestic taxa, including humans, were foraged by B. nosferati -infected D. rotundus , suggesting contact of this bacterium with a broad range of hosts. Our approach is appropriate for detecting, in a single study, the prey preferences of vampire bats in a diverse area, demonstrating its suitability for control strategies where vampire bats thrive. IMPORTANCE The discovery that a high proportion of vampire bats in a tropical area is infected with pathogenic Brucella nosferati and that bats forage on humans and many wild and domestic animals is relevant from the perspective of emerging disease prevention. Indeed, bats harboring B. nosferati in their salivary glands may transmit this pathogenic bacterium to other hosts. This potential is not trivial since, besides the demonstrated pathogenicity, this bacterium possesses all the required virulent arsenal of dangerous Brucella organisms, including those that are zoonotic for humans. Our work has settled the basis for future surveillance actions in brucellosis control programs where these infected bats thrive. Moreover, our strategy to identify the foraging range of bats may be adapted for exploring the feeding habits of diverse animals, including arthropod vectors of infectious diseases, and therefore of interest to a broader audience besides experts on Brucella and bats.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Virulent Brucella nosferati infecting Desmodus rotundus has emerging potential due to the broad foraging range of its bat host for humans and wild and domestic animals

Hernández-Mora,

Chacón-Díaz,

Moreira-Soto

et al. 2023

mSphere

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“…The bat species known as the vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus), a sanguivorous (bloodeating) wild mammal was also widespread, found in the Americas from northern Mexico to central Chile and Argentina [45]. D. rotundus is one of three mammal species that depend only on blood, primarily from domestic animals, but larger wildlife and humans also may serve as food sources on occasion [45]. The feeding habit of vampire bats enhances their ability to transmit pathogenic microorganisms [46].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evidence of Antimicrobial Resistance in Bats and Its Planetary Health Impact for Surveillance of Zoonotic Spillover Events: A Scoping Review

Devnath

Karah

Graham

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as other outbreaks, such as SARS and Ebola, bats are recognized as a critical species for mediating zoonotic infectious disease spillover events. While there is a growing concern of increased antimicrobial resistance (AMR) globally during this pandemic, knowledge of AMR circulating between bats and humans is limited. In this paper, we have reviewed the evidence of AMR in bats and discussed the planetary health aspect of AMR to elucidate how this is associated with the emergence, spread, and persistence of AMR at the human–animal interface. The presence of clinically significant resistant bacteria in bats and wildlife has important implications for zoonotic pandemic surveillance, disease transmission, and treatment modalities. We searched MEDLINE through PubMed and Google Scholar to retrieve relevant studies (n = 38) that provided data on resistant bacteria in bats prior to 30 September 2022. There is substantial variability in the results from studies measuring the prevalence of AMR based on geographic location, bat types, and time. We found all major groups of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in bats, which are resistant to commonly used antibiotics. The most alarming issue is that recent studies have increasingly identified Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), ESBL producing, and Colistin resistant Enterobacterales in samples from bats. This evidence of superbugs abundant in both humans and wild mammals, such as bats, could facilitate a greater understanding of which specific pathways of exposure should be targeted. We believe that these data will also facilitate future pandemic preparedness as well as global AMR containment during pandemic events and beyond.

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“…The Desmodus rotundus is a hematophagous bat that is endemic in Brazil [ 42 , 48 ]. Desmodus rotundus bats have a broad distribution and can live in urban and in rural areas as well [ 73 ]. Although these bats have distinct feeding behaviors, they cohabit in many regions, and colonies of these bats can share resting places such as caves and abandoned buildings.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Novel Chaphamaparvovirus in Insectivorous Molossus molossus Bats, from the Brazilian Amazon Region

Ramos

Abreu

Rodrigues

et al. 2023

Viruses

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Chaphamaparvovirus (CHPV) is a recently characterized genus of the Parvoviridae family whose members can infect different hosts, including bats, which constitute the second most diverse order of mammals and are described worldwide as important transmitters of zoonotic diseases. In this study, we identified a new CHPV in bat samples from the municipality of Santarém (Pará state, North Brazil). A total of 18 Molossus molossus bats were analyzed using viral metagenomics. In five animals, we identified CHPVs. These CHPV sequences presented the genome with a size ranging from 3797 to 4284 bp. Phylogenetic analysis-based nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the VP1 and NS1 regions showed that all CHPV sequences are monophyletic. They are also closely related to CHPV sequences previously identified in bats in southern and southeast Brazil. According to the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) classification criteria for this species (the CHPV NS1 gene region must have 85% identity to be classified in the same species), our sequences are likely a new specie within the genus Chaphamaparvovirus, since they have less than 80% identity with other CHPV described earlier in bats. We also make some phylogenetic considerations about the interaction between CHPV and their host. We suggest a high level of specificity of CPHV and its hosts. Thus, the findings contribute to improving information about the viral diversity of parvoviruses and show the importance of better investigating bats, considering that they harbor a variety of viruses that may favor zoonotic events.

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A database of common vampire bat reports

Cited by 8 publications

References 44 publications

Virulent Brucella nosferati infecting Desmodus rotundus has emerging potential due to the broad foraging range of its bat host for humans and wild and domestic animals

Virulent Brucella nosferati infecting Desmodus rotundus has emerging potential due to the broad foraging range of its bat host for humans and wild and domestic animals

Evidence of Antimicrobial Resistance in Bats and Its Planetary Health Impact for Surveillance of Zoonotic Spillover Events: A Scoping Review

Novel Chaphamaparvovirus in Insectivorous Molossus molossus Bats, from the Brazilian Amazon Region

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