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Knowledge gaps about rabies transmission from vampire bats to humans

Nature Ecology & Evolution volume 4, pages 517–518 (2020)Cite this article

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The Original Article was published on 18 November 2019

arising from K. M. Bakker et al. Nature Ecology & Evolution https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-019-1032-x (2019)

Bakker et al.1 cited the incidence of human rabies transmitted by common vampire bats in high-risk environments in South America as being up to 960 human deaths per 100,000 people, an estimate originally published by Schneider and colleagues2. This alarming number sparked an exchange of correspondence among bat researchers and advocates that highlighted major knowledge gaps in the burden of human rabies transmitted by vampire bats, and the challenges that poorly communicating these uncertainties pose for bat conservation and human health. Here, with Bakker and his colleagues, we elaborate on emergent issues. Our goal is to facilitate effective communication about the transmission of rabies from vampire bats to humans.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada

    M. Brock Fenton

  2. MRC–University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK

    Daniel G. Streicker

  3. Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine & College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

    Daniel G. Streicker

  4. Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK

    Paul A. Racey

  5. Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation, Austin, TX, USA

    Merlin D. Tuttle

  6. Institute of Ecology, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico

    Rodrigo A. Medellin

  7. University of Western Ontario & The Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, London, Ontario, Canada

    Mark J. Daley

  8. Centro de Investigaciones Tecnolόgicas, Biomédicas y Medioambientales, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Ciudad Universitaria UNMSM, Lima, Peru

    Sergio Recuenco

  9. Department of Statistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Kevin M. Bakker

Authors
  1. M. Brock Fenton
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  2. Daniel G. Streicker
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  3. Paul A. Racey
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  4. Merlin D. Tuttle
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  5. Rodrigo A. Medellin
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  6. Mark J. Daley
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  7. Sergio Recuenco
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  8. Kevin M. Bakker
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Contributions

M.B.F. initiated the process and saw it through; D.G.S., P.A.R., M.D.T., R.A.M., M.J.D., S.R. and K.M.B. contributed equally to the writing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Brock Fenton.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Brock Fenton, M., Streicker, D.G., Racey, P.A. et al. Knowledge gaps about rabies transmission from vampire bats to humans. Nat Ecol Evol 4, 517–518 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-1144-3

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