Back to Search
Start Over
Bat distribution size or shape as determinant of viral richness in African bats
- Source :
- PLoS ONE, PLoS ONE, Public Library of Science, 2014, 9 (6), pp.e100172. ⟨10.1371/journal.pone.0100172⟩, PLoS ONE, Vol 9, Iss 6, p e100172 (2014), PLoS ONE, 2014, 9 (6), pp.e100172. ⟨10.1371/journal.pone.0100172⟩, PloS One
- Publication Year :
- 2014
-
Abstract
- International audience; The rising incidence of emerging infectious diseases (EID) is mostly linked to biodiversity loss, changes in habitat use and increasing habitat fragmentation. Bats are linked to a growing number of EID but few studies have explored the factors of viral richness in bats. These may have implications for role of bats as potential reservoirs. We investigated the determinants of viral richness in 15 species of African bats (8 Pteropodidae and 7 microchiroptera) in Central and West Africa for which we provide new information on virus infection and bat phylogeny. We performed the first comparative analysis testing the correlation of the fragmented geographical distribution (defined as the perimeter to area ratio) with viral richness in bats. Because of their potential effect, sampling effort, host body weight, ecological and behavioural traits such as roosting behaviour, migration and geographical range, were included into the analysis as variables. The results showed that the geographical distribution size, shape and host body weight have significant effects on viral richness in bats. Viral richness was higher in large-bodied bats which had larger and more fragmented distribution areas. Accumulation of viruses may be related to the historical expansion and contraction of bat species distribution range, with potentially strong effects of distribution edges on virus transmission. Two potential explanations may explain these results. A positive distribution edge effect on the abundance or distribution of some bat species could have facilitated host switches. Alternatively, parasitism could play a direct role in shaping the distribution range of hosts through host local extinction by virulent parasites. This study highlights the importance of considering the fragmentation of bat species geographical distribution in order to understand their role in the circulation of viruses in Africa.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
Disease reservoir
MESH: Geography
Epidemiology
Species distribution
Biodiversity
MESH: Africa
Communicable Diseases, Emerging
01 natural sciences
[SDV.MHEP.MI]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Infectious diseases
Chiroptera
MESH: Animals
lcsh:Science
Small Animals
MESH: Phylogeny
Phylogeny
0303 health sciences
[SDV.MHEP.ME]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Human health and pathology/Emerging diseases
Geography
Ecology
MESH: Chiroptera
General Medicine
Épidémiologie
Biogeography
Veterinary Diseases
Habitat
[SDV.MP.VIR]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Microbiology and Parasitology/Virology
L20 - Écologie animale
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
L72 - Organismes nuisibles des animaux
MESH: Population Density
Zoology
Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
MESH: Biodiversity
03 medical and health sciences
MESH: Disease Reservoirs
lcsh:R
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Biology and Life Sciences
15. Life on land
MESH: Population Dynamics
Africa
lcsh:Q
Veterinary Science
Evolutionary Genetics
Phylogénie
Viral Diseases
Population Dynamics
lcsh:Medicine
Wildlife
L73 - Maladies des animaux
Zoonoses
Medicine and Health Sciences
MESH: Communicable Diseases, Emerging
Multidisciplinary
Habitat fragmentation
[SDV.BA]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Animal biology
Cytochromes b
MESH: Cytochromes b
génétique animale
Vecteur de maladie
Infectious Diseases
Viruses
Research Article
Distribution géographique
Animal Types
Parasitism
Biology
010603 evolutionary biology
Infectious Disease Epidemiology
Virus des animaux
Pteropodidae
MESH: Viruses
Animals
Transmission des maladies
Disease Reservoirs
030304 developmental biology
Population Density
Evolutionary Biology
Hemorrhagic Fevers
Veterinary Virology
13. Climate action
Species richness
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 19326203
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLoS ONE, PLoS ONE, Public Library of Science, 2014, 9 (6), pp.e100172. ⟨10.1371/journal.pone.0100172⟩, PLoS ONE, Vol 9, Iss 6, p e100172 (2014), PLoS ONE, 2014, 9 (6), pp.e100172. ⟨10.1371/journal.pone.0100172⟩, PloS One
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....fec99eae59cfd04d6cc0bb3f04fcd502