Effects of Vampire Bat Control on Bovine Milk Production

Thompson, Ryan; Elias, Donald J.; Mitchell, G. Clay

doi:10.2307/3799998

Cited by 11 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Blood has a high water concentration that oxpeckers may not be able to process as efficiently as can vampire bats. Vampire bats feed exclusively on the blood of live vertebrates, particularly cattle, in many areas of Latin America (Thompson, Elias & Mitchell, ). Because of their blood‐restricted diet, vampire bats excrete copious amounts of urine (Wimsatt & Guerriere, ; Greenhall, Schmidt & Lopez‐Forment, ; Breidenstein, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feeding preferences of the red‐billed oxpecker, Buphagus erythrorhynchus: a parasitic mutualist?

et al. 2012

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The oxpecker-ungulate association of sub-Saharan Africa is an example of a complicated interspecific association subject to variation in outcome. Oxpeckers (Buphagus spp.) are unusual birds because they not only glean ticks from an array of African ungulates, but they are one of the few avian species known to wound-feed from their living hosts. The conditions under which oxpeckers wound-feed and the mechanisms generating variation in this association are unclear. We took a unique approach to studying the relationship by conducting a series of feeding preference experiments on twelve captive red-billed oxpeckers (B. erythrorhynchus). We assessed how oxpecker feeding behaviour is influenced by changes in tick abundance and tick type. In cafeteria-style experiments, oxpeckers fed equally on ticks and liquid bovine blood. In experiments using donkeys as the host animal, oxpeckers spent more time wound-feeding when a less-preferred tick type was available and when tick abundance was low compared to when a preferred tick type was available and when tick abundance was high. However, oxpeckers still wound-fed even when offered a large number of the ticks they prefer. Additional experiments incorporating tick species of different stages and multiple ungulate species are necessary to fully reveal the dynamics of this association.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feeding preferences of the red‐billed oxpecker, Buphagus erythrorhynchus: a parasitic mutualist?

et al. 2012

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“…Schmidt and Badger [10] reported that cattle owners estimated frequent biting could reduce the amount of milk produced by a single cow 260 L per year and decrease meat production of an individual 39.7 kg per year. Thompson et al [11] found cattle from typical tropical regions that were in poor condition had a significant increase in milk production when they were injected with an anticoagulant and thus mitigated the negative effects of D. rotundus . They concluded that cattle in these areas experience other sources of stress such as extreme climate, inadequate diet, and other parasites, therefore protection from D. rotundus is critical.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Present and Potential Future Distribution of Common Vampire Bats in the Americas and the Associated Risk to Cattle

2012

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Success of the cattle industry in Latin America is impeded by the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, through decreases in milk production and mass gain and increased risk of secondary infection and rabies. We used ecological niche modeling to predict the current potential distribution of D. rotundus and the future distribution of the species for the years 2030, 2050, and 2080 based on the A2, A1B, and B1 climate scenarios from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. We then combined the present day potential distribution with cattle density estimates to identify areas where cattle are at higher risk for the negative impacts due to D. rotundus. We evaluated our risk prediction by plotting 17 documented outbreaks of cattle rabies. Our results indicated highly suitable habitat for D. rotundus occurs throughout most of Mexico and Central America as well as portions of Venezuela, Guyana, the Brazilian highlands, western Ecuador, northern Argentina, and east of the Andes in Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay. With future climate projections suitable habitat for D. rotundus is predicted in these same areas and additional areas in French Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela and Columbia; however D. rotundus are not likely to expand into the U.S. because of inadequate ‘temperature seasonality.’ Areas with large portions of cattle at risk include Mexico, Central America, Paraguay, and Brazil. Twelve of 17 documented cattle rabies outbreaks were represented in regions predicted at risk. Our present day and future predictions can help authorities focus rabies prevention efforts and inform cattle ranchers which areas are at an increased risk of cattle rabies because it has suitable habitat for D. rotundus.

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“…Unfortunately, vaccines are currently produced only for research, and the costs of large-scale production are unavailable. Third, vaccination of vampire bats without population reduction will be unacceptable to some stakeholders since uncontrolled bat depredation sustains exposures to non-rabies pathogens 39 , and anaemia from bites may reduce livestock productivity independent of rabies 40 . Given that culling shifts bat populations towards younger, more rabies-susceptible individuals, which could enhance rabies transmission 19 , future research should develop tools for reproductive suppression as an alternative to culling 41 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fluorescent biomarkers demonstrate prospects for spreadable vaccines to control disease transmission in wild bats

et al. 2019

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Vaccines that autonomously transfer among individuals have been proposed as a strategy to control infectious diseases within inaccessible wildlife populations. However, rates of vaccine spread and epidemiological efficacy in real-world systems remain elusive. Here, we investigate whether topical vaccines that transfer among individuals through social contacts can control vampire bat rabies-a medically and economically important zoonosis in Latin America. Field experiments in three Peruvian bat colonies, which used fluorescent biomarkers as a proxy for the bat-to-bat transfer and ingestion of an oral vaccine, revealed that vaccine transfer would increase population-level immunity up to 2.6 times beyond the same effort using conventional, nonspreadable vaccines. Mathematical models showed that observed levels of vaccine transfer would reduce the probability, size and duration of rabies outbreaks, even at low but realistically achievable levels of vaccine application. Models further predicted that existing vaccines provide substantial advantages over culling bats-the policy currently implemented in North, Central and South America. Linking field studies with biomarkers to mathematical models can inform how spreadable vaccines may combat pathogens of health and conservation concern before costly investments in vaccine design and testing.

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Effects of Vampire Bat Control on Bovine Milk Production

Cited by 11 publications

References 4 publications

Feeding preferences of the red‐billed oxpecker, Buphagus erythrorhynchus: a parasitic mutualist?

Feeding preferences of the red‐billed oxpecker, Buphagus erythrorhynchus: a parasitic mutualist?

Present and Potential Future Distribution of Common Vampire Bats in the Americas and the Associated Risk to Cattle

Fluorescent biomarkers demonstrate prospects for spreadable vaccines to control disease transmission in wild bats

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