Ecological factors associated with European bat lyssavirus seroprevalence in spanish bats

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 8; no. 5; p. e64467
• Main Authors: Serra-Cobo, Jordi, López-Roig, Marc, Seguí, Magdalena, Sánchez, Luisa Pilar, Nadal, Jacint, Borrás, Miquel, Lavenir, Rachel, Bourhy, Hervé
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 20.05.2013; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adaptation; Animal ecology; Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies, Neutralizing; Antibodies, Neutralizing - blood; Antibodies, Viral; Antibodies, Viral - blood; Bats; Bats (Animals); Biology; Chiroptera; Chiroptera - virology; Colonies; Communicable diseases in animals; Control; Disease; Dosage and administration; Ecologia animal; Ecological monitoring; Ecology; Ecosystem; Environmental aspects; Epidemiology; Eptesicus serotinus; Espanya; Genetic diversity; Health aspects; Infections; Interspecific; Life history; Life Sciences; Lyssavirus; Lyssavirus - genetics; Malalties infeccioses en els animals; Medicine; Microbiology and Parasitology; Models, Statistical; Phylogeny; Prevalence; Public health; Rabies; Ratapinyades; Rhabdoviridae Infections; Rhabdoviridae Infections - epidemiology; Rhabdoviridae Infections - veterinary; Ribonucleic acid; Risk analysis; Risk factors; Risk taking; RNA; RNA, Viral; RNA, Viral - blood; Roosting behavior; Seasonal variations; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Serology; Spain; Spain - epidemiology; Species richness; Surveillance; Tadarida brasiliensis; Veterinary Science; Viral diseases; Virology; Virus diseases; Spain; Thailand; France; Europe; Neutralizing/blood; Prevalence; RNA; Antibodies; Rhabdoviridae Infections/epidemiology/veterinary; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Phylogeny; Chiroptera/virology; Lyssavirus/genetics; Animals; Ecosystem; Statistical; Models; Spain/epidemiology; Viral/blood
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0064467

Bats have been proposed as major reservoirs for diverse emerging infectious viral diseases, with rabies being the best known in Europe. However, studies exploring the ecological interaction between lyssaviruses and their natural hosts are scarce. This study completes our active surveillance work on Spanish bat colonies that began in 1992. Herein, we analyzed ecological factors that might affect the infection dynamics observed in those colonies. Between 2001 and 2011, we collected and tested 2,393 blood samples and 45 dead bats from 25 localities and 20 bat species. The results for dead confirmed the presence of EBLV-1 RNA in six species analyzed (for the first time in Myotis capaccinii). Samples positive for European bat lyssavirus-1 (EBLV-1)-neutralizing antibodies were detected in 68% of the localities sampled and in 13 bat species, seven of which were found for the first time (even in Myotis daubentonii, a species to date always linked to EBLV-2). EBLV-1 seroprevalence (20.7%) ranged between 11.1 and 40.2% among bat species and seasonal variation was observed, with significantly higher antibody prevalence in summer (July). EBLV-1 seroprevalence was significantly associated with colony size and species richness. Higher seroprevalence percentages were found in large multispecific colonies, suggesting that intra- and interspecific contacts are major risk factors for EBLV-1 transmission in bat colonies. Although bat-roosting behavior strongly determines EBLV-1 variability, we also found some evidence that bat phylogeny might be involved in bat-species seroprevalence. The results of this study highlight the importance of life history and roost ecology in understanding EBLV-1-prevalence patterns in bat colonies and also provide useful information for public health officials.