special topic: bats Flashcards
what benefits do bats have on humans and ecosystems?
-help control insects
-reseed cut forests
-pollinate plants: mango, bananas, etc.
-guano is used for fertilizer and is important in nutrient cycling
-echolocation provided model for sonar and radar systems
one or more epidemiologically connected populations in which the pathogen is permanently maintained and from which infection is transmitted to the defined target population
reservoir
infectiousness is more important than the
ability to be infected
spillover
when a virus jumps species from a reservoir to another animal that has no evolutionary history with that disease
how are pathogens transmitted from bats?
-direct contact with saliva
-indirect contact with body fluids
-bats are eaten in some countries
factors that make bats good reservoirs
-evolution
-population size, roosting, long life
-torpor and hibernation
-immune system
-migration
evolution of bats
viruses that evolved with bats may use receptors and pathways that are similar to mammalian receptors, greater chance of spill over from bats to mammals
population size, roosting, and lifespan
-bats exist in large numbers
-dense roosting caves causes mixing, viral exchange, and reassortment
-live a long time
migration of bats
exchange of exotic pathogens and virus variants with different migratory patterns during roosting
torpor and hibernation
-reduced immune response which facilitates persistence of viruses
-hibernacula is densely population sometimes with different species
bats immune system
-show persistent viral shedding with little evidence of disease
same physical locations can cause
spill overs
What are some threats bats face?
-habitat loss
-cat attacks
-lighting
-wind farms
-human culling
-white nose syndrome
