Rates of hematophagous ectoparasite consumption during grooming by an endemic Madagascar fruit bat

Abstract

BackgroundFew details are available on the consumption of ectoparasites, specifically bat flies (Diptera: Nycteribiidae and Streblidae), by their chiropteran hosts while grooming. Such details are important to document consumption rates of ectoparasites by their bat host provide details on the dynamics of host-parasite interactions. We present data on ectoparasite consumption rates for an endemic Malagasy fruit bat (Pteropodidae: Rousettus madagascariensis) occupying a cave day roost colony in northern Madagascar. Using quantified behavioral analyses, grooming and associated ingestion rates were measured from infrared videos taken in close proximity to day-roosting bats. The recorded individual bats could be visually identified to age (adult, juvenile) and sex (male, female), allowing analyses of the proportion of time these different classes allocated to consuming ectoparasites via auto-grooming (self) or allo-grooming (intraspecific) per 10 min video recording session. These figures could then be extrapolated to estimates of individual daily consumption rates.ResultsBased on video recordings, adults spent significantly more time auto-grooming and allo-grooming than juveniles. The latter group was not observed consuming ectoparasites. Grooming rates and the average number of ectoparasites consumed per day did not differ between adult males and females. The mean extrapolated number consumed on a daily basis for individual adults was 37 ectoparasites. When these figures are overlaid on the estimated number of adult Rousettus occurring at the roost site during the dry season, the projected daily consumption rate was 57,905 ectoparasites.ConclusionsThe details presented here represent the first quantified data on bat consumption rates of their ectoparasites, specifically dipterans. These results provide new insights in host-parasite predation dynamics. More research is needed to explore the mechanism zoonotic diseases isolated from bat flies might be transmitted to their bat hosts, specifically those pathogens that can be communicated via an oral route.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-018-2918-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Genetic diversity, infection prevalence, and possible transmission routes of Bartonella spp. in vampire bats

“…While fecal and blood PCR results also mostly matched, we found one case where a bat was negative in blood but positive in feces. As consumption of ectoparasites during grooming has been observed in other bat families (e.g., Pteropodidae [ 80 ]), this discrepancy could suggest the incidental ingestion of ectoparasites during grooming and that this does not lead to systemic infection more generally indicated by the concordance between blood, saliva, and fecal positives and their close genetic similarity.…”

Vector Competence of Eucampsipoda africana (Diptera: Nycteribiidae) for Marburg Virus Transmission in Rousettus aegyptiacus (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae)

“…The detection of MARV in bat flies in our study, following feeding on viremic bats up to 7 days PI, might have important ramifications in the context of the postulated oral mechanism of MARV transmission [30,32]. Although peak viremias in both sylvan and experimentally infected bats tend to be rather low and of moderate duration [28][29][30][31][32], the high consumption rates of ectoparasites [102] coupled with the high density and roosting behaviour of Rousettus bats, regular, multiple blood feeds by bat flies, and the extent of time spent by bat flies on ERBs might result in increased exposure to the virus. In has been estimated that the mean number of nycteribiid flies consumed by an adult Madagascar fruit bat (Rousettus madagascariensis) during auto-and allo-grooming was 37 daily.…”

“…In has been estimated that the mean number of nycteribiid flies consumed by an adult Madagascar fruit bat (Rousettus madagascariensis) during auto-and allo-grooming was 37 daily. When this number was extrapolated on the estimated number of adult Rousettus bats at the roost site in the Grotte des Chauves-souris, d'Ankarana National Park in Madagascar, the projected daily consumption rate was 57,905 ectoparasites daily [102]. The consumption of contaminated ectoparasites could provide the mechanism for oral MARV transmission.…”

How Emergent Social Patterns in Allogrooming Combat Parasitic Infections

“…Allogrooming, or social grooming, serves to signal and/or reinforce social bonds (Matheson and Bernstein, 2000;Kutsukake and Clutton-Brock, 2006), providing health benefits to both the groomer and groomee while developing and reinforcing relationships among group members. Immediate benefits to the groomer may include a decrease in tension (Shutt et al, 2007), access to nearby resources (Börger et al, 2008), and nutritional benefits from the consumption of groomed ectoparasites (Ramanantsalama et al, 2018). Over time, a groomer promotes social affiliations in the group, attains status, and forms alliances with others (Russell and Phelps, 2013).…”