Little Brown Bats (Myotis lucifugus) Are Resistant to SARS-CoV-2 Infection.

It has been proposed that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus that spread through human populations as a pandemic originated in Asian bats. There is concern that infected humans could transmit the virus to native North American bats; therefore, the susceptibility of several North American bat species to the pandemic virus has been experimentally assessed. Big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) were shown to be resistant to infection by SARS-CoV-2, whereas Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) became infected and orally excreted moderate amounts of virus for up to 18 d postinoculation.

Impact of Molecular Modifications on the Immunogenicity and Efficacy of Recombinant Raccoon Poxvirus-Vectored Rabies Vaccine Candidates in Mice.

Rabies is an ancient disease that is responsible for approximately 59,000 human deaths annually. Bats (Order ) are thought to be the original hosts of rabies virus (RABV) and currently account for most rabies cases in wildlife in the Americas. Vaccination is being used to manage rabies in other wildlife reservoirs like fox and raccoon, but no rabies vaccine is available for bats.

Plague-Positive Mouse Fleas on Mice Before Plague Induced Die-Offs in Black-Tailed and White-Tailed Prairie Dogs.

Plague is a lethal zoonotic disease associated with rodents worldwide. In the western United States, plague outbreaks can decimate prairie dog ( spp.) colonies.