Bat ecology and public health surveillance for rabies in an urbanizing region of Colorado

O’Shea, Thomas J.; Neubaum, Daniel J.; Neubaum, Melissa A.; Cryan, Paul M.; Ellison, Laura E.; Stanley, Thomas R.; Rupprecht, Charles E.; Pape, W. John; Bowen, Richard A.

doi:10.1007/s11252-011-0182-7

Cited by 36 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 66 publications

(99 reference statements)

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“…Of the buildings inspected, 0.5-0.7% had a maternity colony at the time of the inspection. The observed roosts prebirth had a geometric mean size of 47 bats (30). Therefore, multiplying the number of addresses by the proportion with maternity colonies generates a crude estimate of ∼15,000-20,000 bats in maternity roosts (65,000 × 0.005 × 47 = 15,275).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unique to this study, we determined transmission rates based on mark-recapture serology data from a 5-y study of bat rabies within big brown bats in Fort Collins, CO (SI Methods). We defined dates delimiting season lengths using observational data, combined with roost visitation data, based on PIT-tagged individuals (30), and tracking of radiotagged individuals (25).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In early spring, after bats arouse from hibernation, they enter the third period, an early transmission period where they maintain irregular use of daily torpor as females form maternity colonies close to humans (29). Recent research has quantified the annual cycle of big brown bats in Colorado (30). Key factors affecting disease dynamics vary across the three ecological periods and include seasonal bat mortality, the virus incubation period, and bat reproduction.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Host and viral ecology determine bat rabies seasonality and maintenance

George

Webb

Farnsworth

et al. 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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178

186

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Rabies is an acute viral infection that is typically fatal. Most rabies modeling has focused on disease dynamics and control within terrestrial mammals (e.g., raccoons and foxes). As such, rabies in bats has been largely neglected until recently. Because bats have been implicated as natural reservoirs for several emerging zoonotic viruses, including SARS-like corona viruses, henipaviruses, and lyssaviruses, understanding how pathogens are maintained within a population becomes vital. Unfortunately, little is known about maintenance mechanisms for any pathogen in bat populations. We present a mathematical model parameterized with unique data from an extensive study of rabies in a Colorado population of big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) to elucidate general maintenance mechanisms. We propose that life history patterns of many species of temperate-zone bats, coupled with sufficiently long incubation periods, allows for rabies virus maintenance. Seasonal variability in bat mortality rates, specifically low mortality during hibernation, allows long-term bat population viability. Within viable bat populations, sufficiently long incubation periods allow enough infected individuals to enter hibernation and survive until the following year, and hence avoid an epizootic fadeout of rabies virus. We hypothesize that the slowing effects of hibernation on metabolic and viral activity maintains infected individuals and their pathogens until susceptibles from the annual birth pulse become infected and continue the cycle. This research provides a context to explore similar host ecology and viral dynamics that may explain seasonal patterns and maintenance of other bat-borne diseases. chiroptera | pathogen persistence | torpor M any aspects of wildlife biology are strongly seasonal, including population dynamics of wildlife diseases (1, 2). Although mechanisms of seasonal variation of human pathogens have been well explored (3), the mechanisms for seasonality of wildlife diseases are not as well understood. Rabies virus dynamics in temperate zone bat populations exhibit a strong seasonal pattern in the number of rabies cases (Fig. 1), unlike mammalian carnivores (4). Previous analyses of bat rabies virus (BRV) using passive surveillance samples have demonstrated a higher prevalence in the spring, but especially during autumn, throughout the United States (5). However, no definitive mechanism for the seasonal pattern of rabies in bats has been described. In addition, how rabies virus is maintained within bat populations remains unclear. Here, we explore factors that drive pathogen maintenance and simultaneously explain the unique seasonal patterns of rabies in bats.Each year, rabies virus infection causes in excess of 55,000 human deaths globally, mostly from dog bites in developing countries (6). Successful vaccination programs of domesticated animals have virtually eliminated dog rabies in North America over the past 50 y, and more recent vaccination strategies for wildlife populations have controlled rabies virus in other carniv...

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Host and viral ecology determine bat rabies seasonality and maintenance

George

Webb

Farnsworth

et al. 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Self Cite

178

186

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“…Seven roosts were sampled on single nights each, whereas three roosts in Fort Collins were sampled on two-three nights each. Big brown bats at maternity roosts were marked by insertion of passive integrated transponders (Wimsatt et al, 2005) O'Shea et al (2011). Bats captured over water were marked by 3-mm-diameter wing punches for a separate study (Neubaum et al, 2007), allowing us to avoid repeat sampling of the same bats by searching for resultant wounds or scars.…”

Section: Study Areas and Bat Capturementioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of Neutralizing Antibodies to Rabies Virus in Serum of Seven Species of Insectivorous Bats From Colorado and New Mexico, United States

Bowen

O’Shea

Shankar

et al. 2013

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

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ABSTRACT:We determined the presence of rabies-virus-neutralizing antibodies (RVNA) in serum of 721 insectivorous bats of seven species captured, sampled, and released in Colorado and New Mexico, United States in [2003][2004][2005]. A subsample of 160 bats was tested for rabies-virus RNA in saliva. We sampled little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) at two maternity roosts in Larimer County, Colorado; big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) at three maternity roosts in Morgan County, Colorado; and big brown bats at five maternity roosts in Larimer County. We also sampled hoary bats (Lasiurus cinereus) and silver-haired bats (Lasionycteris noctivagans) captured while drinking or foraging over water in Bernalillo County, New Mexico and at various locations in Larimer County. Big brown bats, little brown bats, long-legged myotis (Myotis volans), long-eared myotis (Myotis evotis), and fringed myotis (Myotis thysanodes) were also sampled over water in Larimer County. All species except long-eared myotis included individuals with RVNA, with prevalences ranging from 7% in adult female silver-haired bats to 32% in adult female hoary bats. None of the bats had detectable rabies-virus RNA in oropharyngeal swabs, including 51 bats of 5 species that had RVNA in serum. Antibody-positive bats were present in nine of the 10 maternity colonies sampled. These data suggest that wild bats are commonly exposed to rabies virus and develop a humoral immune response suggesting some degree of viral replication, but many infections fail to progress to clinical disease.

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“…Given that many bat species roost in single-family homes (O'Shea et al 2011), sick or dying bats falling from these roosts are likely to land near buildings or in yards where skunk encounters with bat carcasses were more likely. Therefore, reducing availability of human-provided dens and food sources for skunks may decrease potential for bat-to-skunk RV transmission either via scavenging or through other interactions.…”

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confidence: 99%