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Neves JMM, Belo VS, Catita CMS, de Oliveira BFA, Horta MAP. Modeling of Human Rabies Cases in Brazil in Different Future Global Warming Scenarios. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:212. [PMID: 38397701 PMCID: PMC10888213 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21020212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
Bat species have been observed to have the potential to expand their distribution in response to climate change, thereby influencing shifts in the spatial distribution and population dynamics of human rabies cases. In this study, we applied an ensemble niche modeling approach to project climatic suitability under different future global warming scenarios for human rabies cases in Brazil, and assessed the impact on the probability of emergence of new cases. We obtained notification records of human rabies cases in all Brazilian cities from January 2001 to August 2023, as reported by the State and Municipal Health Departments. The current and future climate data were sourced from a digital repository on the WorldClim website. The future bioclimatic variables provided were downscaled climate projections from CMIP6 (a global model ensemble) and extracted from the regionalized climate model HadGEM3-GC31-LL for three future socioeconomic scenarios over four periods (2021-2100). Seven statistical algorithms (MAXENT, MARS, RF, FDA, CTA, GAM, and GLM) were selected for modeling human rabies. Temperature seasonality was the bioclimatic variable with the highest relative contribution to both current and future consensus models. Future scenario modeling for human rabies indicated a trend of changes in the areas of occurrence, maintaining the current pace of global warming, population growth, socioeconomic instability, and the loss of natural areas. In Brazil, there are areas with a higher likelihood of climatic factors contributing to the emergence of cases. When assessing future scenarios, a change in the local climatic suitability is observed that may lead to a reduction or increase in cases, depending on the region.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vinicius Silva Belo
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Federal University of São João del-Rei, Divinopolis 36307-352, Brazil;
| | - Cristina Maria Souza Catita
- Department of Geographic Engineering, Geophysics and Energy, University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1649-004, Portugal;
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Brown N, Escobar LE. A review of the diet of the common vampire bat ( Desmodus rotundus) in the context of anthropogenic change. Mamm Biol 2023; 103:1-21. [PMID: 37363038 PMCID: PMC10258787 DOI: 10.1007/s42991-023-00358-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) maintains a diverse, sanguivorous diet, utilizing a broad range of prey taxa. As anthropogenic change alters the distribution of this species, shifts in predator-prey interactions are expected. Understanding prey richness and patterns of prey selection is, thus, increasingly informative from ecological, epidemiological, and economic perspectives. We reviewed D. rotundus diet and assessed the geographical, taxonomical, and behavioral features to find 63 vertebrate species within 21 orders and 45 families constitute prey, including suitable host species in regions of invasion outside D. rotundus' range. Rodentia contained the largest number of species utilized by D. rotundus, though cattle were the most commonly reported prey source, likely linked to the high availability of livestock and visibility of bite wounds compared to wildlife. Additionally, there was tendency to predate upon species with diurnal activity and social behavior, potentially facilitating convenient and nocturnal predation. Our review highlights the dietary heterogeneity of D. rotundus across its distribution. We define D. rotundus as a generalist predator, or parasite, depending on the ecological definition of its symbiont roles in an ecosystem (i.e., lethal vs. non-lethal blood consumption). In view of the eminent role of D. rotundus in rabies virus transmission and its range expansion, an understanding of its ecology would benefit public health, wildlife management, and agriculture. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42991-023-00358-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Brown
- Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA
| | - Luis E. Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA
- Global Change Center, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA
- Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA
- Doctorado en Agrociencias, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad de La Salle, Carrera 7 No. 179-03, Bogotá, Colombia
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Drivers of Spatial Expansions of Vampire Bat Rabies in Colombia. Viruses 2022; 14:v14112318. [PMID: 36366416 PMCID: PMC9697077 DOI: 10.3390/v14112318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial expansions of vampire bat-transmitted rabies (VBR) are increasing the risk of lethal infections in livestock and humans in Latin America. Identifying the drivers of these expansions could improve current approaches to surveillance and prevention. We aimed to identify if VBR spatial expansions are occurring in Colombia and test factors associated with these expansions. We analyzed 2336 VBR outbreaks in livestock reported to the National Animal Health Agency (Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario-ICA) affecting 297 municipalities from 2000-2019. The area affected by VBR changed through time and was correlated to the reported number of outbreaks each year. Consistent with spatial expansions, some municipalities reported VBR outbreaks for the first time each year and nearly half of the estimated infected area in 2010-2019 did not report outbreaks in the previous decade. However, the number of newly infected municipalities decreased between 2000-2019, suggesting decelerating spatial expansions. Municipalities infected later had lower cattle populations and were located further from the local reporting offices of the ICA. Reducing the VBR burden in Colombia requires improving vaccination coverage in both endemic and newly infected areas while improving surveillance capacity in increasingly remote areas with lower cattle populations where rabies is emerging.
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Moreira Marrero L, Botto Nuñez G, Frabasile S, Delfraro A. Alphavirus Identification in Neotropical Bats. Viruses 2022; 14:v14020269. [PMID: 35215862 PMCID: PMC8877408 DOI: 10.3390/v14020269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Alphaviruses (Togaviridae) are arthropod-borne viruses responsible for several emerging diseases, maintained in nature through transmission between hematophagous arthropod vectors and susceptible vertebrate hosts. Although bats harbor many species of viruses, their role as reservoir hosts in emergent zoonoses has been verified only in a few cases. With bats being the second most diverse order of mammals, their implication in arbovirus infections needs to be elucidated. Reports on arbovirus infections in bats are scarce, especially in South American indigenous species. In this work, we report the genomic detection and identification of two different alphaviruses in oral swabs from bats captured in Northern Uruguay. Phylogenetic analysis identified Río Negro virus (RNV) in two different species: Tadarida brasiliensis (n = 6) and Myotis spp. (n = 1) and eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) in Myotis spp. (n = 2). Previous studies of our group identified RNV and EEEV in mosquitoes and horse serology, suggesting that they may be circulating in enzootic cycles in our country. Our findings reveal that bats can be infected by these arboviruses and that chiropterans could participate in the viral natural cycle as virus amplifiers or dead-end hosts. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the role of these mammals in the biological cycle of these alphaviruses in Uruguay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Moreira Marrero
- Sección Virología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay;
- Programa para la Conservación de los Murciélagos de Uruguay, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Montevideo 11000, Uruguay;
| | - Germán Botto Nuñez
- Programa para la Conservación de los Murciélagos de Uruguay, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Montevideo 11000, Uruguay;
- Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Genética, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente, Montevideo 11600, Uruguay
| | - Sandra Frabasile
- Sección Virología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay;
- Correspondence: (S.F.); (A.D.); Tel.: +598-25258617 (ext. 7175) (S.F. & A.D.)
| | - Adriana Delfraro
- Sección Virología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay;
- Correspondence: (S.F.); (A.D.); Tel.: +598-25258617 (ext. 7175) (S.F. & A.D.)
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Moreira Marrero L, Botto Nuñez G, Malta L, Delfraro A, Frabasile S. Ecological and Conservation Significance of Herpesvirus Infection in Neotropical Bats. ECOHEALTH 2021; 18:123-133. [PMID: 34184171 PMCID: PMC8238035 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-021-01530-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Bats are the second most diverse order of mammals and key species for ecosystem functioning, providing a wide range of ecosystem services, from pest control to seed dispersal. Chiropterans are known for hosting a large diversity of viruses, in some cases with little or no effect to their health. Here, we report on the results of a screening for DNA (Herpesviridae) and RNA viruses (Rhabdovirus and Pneumovirus), finding a high prevalence and wide diversity of both Beta- and Gamma-Herpesvirus in insectivorous and hematophagous bats of the southern cone of South America. Our findings suggest that bats in the southern neotropics harbor a high diversity of herpesviruses and, at least in some cases, the viral community in the bat species is more strongly associated with ecological traits of the hosts, rather than their taxonomy. The presence of a separate clade into the Gammaherpesvirinae subfamily in the common vampire bat suggests the independent circulation of herpesviruses in hematophagous and insectivorous bats and highlights the properness of these viruses to track vampire bats' population structure for rabies studies. Hence, we suggest that as other pathogens viruses may be used to track the population dynamics of their hosts, including movement and demographics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Moreira Marrero
- Sección Virología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La República, Iguá 4225, 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Programa Para La Conservación de Los Murciélagos de Uruguay, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Germán Botto Nuñez
- Programa Para La Conservación de Los Murciélagos de Uruguay, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La República, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, USA
| | - Lucía Malta
- Sección Virología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La República, Iguá 4225, 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Adriana Delfraro
- Sección Virología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La República, Iguá 4225, 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Sandra Frabasile
- Sección Virología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de La República, Iguá 4225, 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay.
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Rohde RE, Rupprecht CE. Update on lyssaviruses and rabies: will past progress play as prologue in the near term towards future elimination? Fac Rev 2020; 9:9. [PMID: 33659941 PMCID: PMC7886060 DOI: 10.12703/b/9-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Rabies is an ancient, much-feared, and neglected infectious disease. Caused by pathogens in the family Rhabdoviridae, genus Lyssavirus, and distributed globally, this viral zoonosis results in tens of thousands of human fatalities and millions of exposures annually. All mammals are believed susceptible, but only certain taxa act as reservoirs. Dependence upon direct routing to, replication within, and passage from the central nervous system serves as a basic viral strategy for perpetuation. By a combination of stealth and subversion, lyssaviruses are quintessential neurotropic agents and cause an acute, progressive encephalitis. No treatment exists, so prevention is the key. Although not a disease considered for eradication, something of a modern rebirth has been occurring within the field as of late with regard to detection, prevention, and management as well as applied research. For example, within the past decade, new lyssaviruses have been characterized; sensitive and specific diagnostics have been optimized; pure, potent, safe, and efficacious human biologics have improved human prophylaxis; regional efforts have controlled canine rabies by mass immunization; wildlife rabies has been controlled by oral rabies vaccination over large geographic areas in Europe and North America; and debate has resumed over the controversial topic of therapy. Based upon such progress to date, there are certain expectations for the next 10 years. These include pathogen discovery, to uncover additional lyssaviruses in the Old World; laboratory-based surveillance enhancement by simplified, rapid testing; anti-viral drug appearance, based upon an improved appreciation of viral pathobiology and host response; and improvements to canine rabies elimination regionally throughout Africa, Asia, and the Americas by application of the best technical, organizational, economic, and socio-political practices. Significantly, anticipated Gavi support will enable improved access of human rabies vaccines in lesser developed countries at a national level, with integrated bite management, dose-sparing regimens, and a 1 week vaccination schedule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodney E Rohde
- Clinical Laboratory Science, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX, 78666, USA
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Escobar LE. Ecological Niche Modeling: An Introduction for Veterinarians and Epidemiologists. Front Vet Sci 2020; 7:519059. [PMID: 33195507 PMCID: PMC7641643 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2020.519059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Most infectious diseases in animals are not distributed randomly. Instead, diseases in livestock and wildlife are predictable in terms of the geography, time, and species affected. Ecological niche modeling approaches have been crucial to the advancement of our understanding of diversity and diseases distributions. This contribution is an introductory overview to the field of distributional ecology, with emphasis on its application for spatial epidemiology. A new, revised modeling framework is proposed for more detailed and replicable models that account for both the biology of the disease to be modeled and the uncertainty of the data available. Considering that most disease systems need at least two organisms interacting (i.e., host and pathogen), biotic interactions lie at the core of the pathogen's ecological niche. As a result, neglecting interacting organisms in pathogen dynamics (e.g., maintenance, reproduction, and transmission) may limit efforts to forecast disease distributions in veterinary epidemiology. Although limitations of ecological niche modeling are noted, it is clear that the application and value of ecological niche modeling to epidemiology will increase in the future. Potential research lines include the examination of the effects of biotic variables on model performance, assessments of protocols for model calibration in disease systems, and new tools and metrics for robust model evaluation. Epidemiologists aiming to employ ecological niche modeling theory and methods to reconstruct and forecast epidemics should familiarize themselves with ecological literature and must consider multidisciplinary collaborations including veterinarians to develop biologically sound, statistically robust analyses. This review attempts to increase the use of tools from ecology in disease mapping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E Escobar
- Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, United States
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Botto Nuñez G, Becker DJ, Lawrence RL, Plowright RK. Synergistic Effects of Grassland Fragmentation and Temperature on Bovine Rabies Emergence. ECOHEALTH 2020; 17:203-216. [PMID: 32699950 PMCID: PMC7885335 DOI: 10.1007/s10393-020-01486-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In 2007, common vampire bats were the source of the first outbreak of paralytic bovine rabies in Uruguay. The outbreak coincided in space and time with the fragmentation of native grasslands for monospecific forestry for wood and cellulose production. Using spatial analyses, we show that the increase in grassland fragmentation, together with the minimum temperature in the winter, accounts for the spatial pattern of outbreaks in the country. We propose that fragmentation may increase the connectivity of vampire bat colonies by promoting the sharing of feeding areas, while temperature modulates their home range plasticity. While a recent introduction of the virus from neighboring Brazil could have had an effect on outbreak occurrence, we show here that the distribution of rabies cases is unlikely to be explained by only an invasion process from Brazil. In accordance with previous modeling efforts, an increase in connectivity may promote spatial persistence of rabies virus within vampire bat populations. Our results suggest that land use planning might help to reduce grassland fragmentation and thus reduce risk of rabies transmission to livestock. This will be especially important in the context of climatic changes and increasing minimum temperatures in the winter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Germán Botto Nuñez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Bozeman Disease Ecology Lab, Montana State University, 109 Lewis Hall, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA.
- Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, 11800, Uruguay.
- Programa para la Conservación de los Murciélagos de Uruguay, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Montevideo, 11000, Uruguay.
| | - Daniel J Becker
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Rick L Lawrence
- Spatial Sciences Center, Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
| | - Raina K Plowright
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Bozeman Disease Ecology Lab, Montana State University, 109 Lewis Hall, Bozeman, MT, 59717, USA
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