Multiple species of bats are reservoirs of rabies virus in the Americas and are occasionally the source of spillover infections into mesocarnivore species. Although rabies transmission generally is assumed to occur via bite, laboratory studies have demonstrated the potential for rabies transmission via ingestion of rabid animals. We investigated the ecological potential for this mode of transmission by assessing mesocarnivore scavenging behavior of dead bats in suburban habitats of Flagstaff, Arizona, US. In autumn 2013, summer 2014, and autumn 2015, we placed 104 rabies-negative bat carcasses either near buildings, in wildland areas, or in residential yards and then monitored them with trail cameras for 5 d. Overall, 52 (50%) bat carcasses were scavenged, with 39 (75%) of those scavenged by striped skunks ( Mephitis mephitis ). Within our study area, striped skunks had a higher ecological potential to contract rabies via ingestion of bat carcasses compared to other mesocarnivore species, due both to a greater number of encounters and a higher probability of ingestion per encounter (91%), and they were significantly more likely to approach bat carcasses in yards than in wildland areas. Raccoons ( Procyon lotor ) and gray foxes ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus ) had fewer encounters (nine and 13, respectively) and lower probability of ingesting bats (33% and 8%, respectively).
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http://dx.doi.org/10.7589/2016-09-203 | DOI Listing |
Biol Lett
September 2024
Sonnenbergstrasse 27, Pforzheim 75180, Germany.
Ecotoxicology
October 2024
Department of Animal Protection and Welfare & Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic.
Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports
June 2024
Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA. Electronic address:
The Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis) is one of the most abundant mammals in North America. Mexican free-tailed bats have a wide geographic range stretching from northern South America to the western United States. Bats are theorized to be the original hosts for Trypanosoma cruzi -the causative agent of Chagas disease- and can serve as a source of infection to triatomine insect vectors that feed upon them.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroorganisms
November 2023
University of Sarajevo-Veterinary Faculty, 71000 Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bats are a natural host for a number of viruses, many of which are zoonotic and thus present a threat to human health. RNA viruses of the family many of which cause disease in humans, have been associated with specific bat hosts. Lloviu virus is a Filovirus which has been connected to mass mortality events in colonies in Spain and Hungary, and some studies have indicated its immense zoonotic potential.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeerJ
December 2023
Department of Biology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, United States.
Background: Operation of wind turbines has resulted in collision fatalities for several bat species, and one proven method to reduce these fatalities is to limit wind turbine blade rotation (., curtail turbines) when fatalities are expected to be highest. Implementation of curtailment can potentially be optimized by targeting times when females are most at risk, as the proportion of females limits the growth and stability of many bat populations.
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