Abstract Title
Recurrent spillover of H5 avian influenza to vampire bats at the marine-terrestrial interface
Abstract
In late 2022, H5N1 avian influenza caused mass mortality in seabirds and South American sea lions along the Peruvian coast. In these areas, common vampire bats are suspected to feed on marine wildlife, potentially facilitating pathogen transmission from marine to terrestrial environments. To investigate the role of vampire bats in this interface, we collected 585 vampire bat serum samples between 2011 and 2023 across 13 sites in Peru to represent foraging differences: coastal roosts with marine contact (<100 m from the seafront, N=278), without marine contact (>5 km from the seafront, N=250), and inland roosts (N=57). We identified eight positive samples from marine-contact coastal sites across multiple years using an H5 competitive ELISA. Isotopic analysis of bat hair indicated marine diet in seropositive bats (δ15N 23.75 ± 0.62‰), while negatives from non-marine and inland sites showed lower nitrogen levels, suggesting livestock or mixed diets (δ15N 12.41 ± 1.84‰). We also found that vampire bat cell lines were permissive to PR8 reassortant influenza viruses, supporting infection potential. The low seroprevalence in marine-contact sites suggests sporadic exposure from infected marine wildlife or contaminated environments. However, the permissiveness of vampire bat cells to influenza and serological evidence of bat susceptibility highlight their potential as novel reservoirs. This marine-terrestrial interface could facilitate pathogen spillover to other prey, particularly where bats feed on both marine and domestic animals. Our study provides the first evidence of recurring H5 exposure in vampire bats, underscoring the need for further research on disease dynamics at this interface.
Co-Author(s)
I-Ting Tu1, Christina Faust1, Megan Griffiths1, Carlos Tello2, William Valderrama2, Susana Cárdenas-Alayza3, Savitha Raveendran4, Sarah Walsh4, Ed Hutchinson4,
Christina Lynggaard5, Kristine Bohmann5, Daniel Streicker1,4
1School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow
2Asociación para el Desarrollo y Conservación de los Recursos Naturales (Illariy)
3Centro para la Sostenibilidad Ambiental, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
4MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research
5Globe Institute, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen
Abstract Category
Avian influenza in mammals, pandemic preparedness, and one health