Biology subjects

Stockmaier, S.

Publications and source records attributed to Stockmaier, S..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Cross-Continental Analysis of Vampire Bat Betaherpesvirus Reveals Limited Interference Among Strains and Local Geographic Spread

Desmodus rotundus Betaherpesvirus (DrBHV) is a candidate vector for a transmissible vaccine targeting the circulation of rabies virus within its vampire bat reservoir. Studies assessing the potential for DrBHV as a vector have not considered its geographic range, potential for transboundary spread or how the diversity of wildtype DrBHV in natural bat populations might impede the spread of a modified vaccine strain. Here, by sequencing DrBHVs from vampire bats spanning 15 regions across 7 rabies-affected countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, we characterise the continent-scale distribution of DrBHV diversity and demonstrate widespread and apparently unconstrained co-infection. DrBHV occurred in all regions, forming a monophyletic clade consistent with a single introduction to vampire bats or host-virus co-speciation rather than frequent host switching. Phylogeographic analyses revealed cross-boundary spread that was predicted by geographic proximity. We identified 50 putative DrBHV strains and 79% of DrBHV-infected bats harboured multiple strains. No strains were over- or under-represented in co-infection and co-infections occurred proportionately to local strain prevalence. Whether strains circulated in given populations was predominantly driven by the geographic proximity of other populations containing that strain. The evolutionary relatedness of strains constrained neither rates of co-infection within individuals nor whether strains co-circulated within regions, suggesting vaccine vectors might be locally sourced rather than requiring imported, divergent strains to ameliorate interference. These results support the viability of DrBHV-vectored vaccines for mitigating rabies virus across Latin America and the Caribbean, despite widespread circulation of wildtype viruses.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2023

Opportunistic evidence for impacts of Staphylococcus infection on social integration in vampire bats

Social integration can affect an individuals susceptibility to infectious disease. Conversely, infectious disease can reduce an individuals social activity. Yet, it remains unclear to what extent short-term infections can inhibit social integration and the formation of new relationships. During a previous study on relationship formation, we captured 21 female common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) from different wild populations and housed them together in captivity. Upon introduction, we observed an unplanned outbreak of bacterial infections that caused cutaneous lesions. After treating infected bats with an antibiotic, five bats recovered, but four others suffered lasting injuries. Given that observations of how natural infections alter relationship formation are rare, we analyzed how allogrooming rates changed over time among familiar and new dyads consisting of the nine infected and 12 asymptomatic bats. We found that (1) infected bats demonstrated reduced activity and social behavior, (2) more severely infected bats gave and received less allogrooming than asymptomatic bats, (3) the effect of infection was larger for new dyads relative to familiar dyads, and (4) this effect decreased as infected bats recovered and new dyads became more familiar. These opportunistic observations were consistent with the hypothesis that short-term infections can impact the formation of new relationships.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2022

Social effects of rabies infection in male vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus)

Abstract (resumen en espanol, S1)Rabies virus (RABV) transmitted by the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) poses a threat to agricultural development and public health throughout the Neotropics. The ecology and evolution of rabies host-pathogen dynamics are influenced by two infection-induced behavioral changes. RABV-infected hosts often exhibit increased aggression which facilitates transmission, and rabies also leads to reduced activity and paralysis prior to death. Although several studies document rabies-induced behavioral changes in rodents and other dead-end hosts, surprisingly few studies have measured these changes in vampire bats, the key natural reservoir throughout Latin America. Here, we take advantage of an experiment designed to test the safety and efficacy of an oral rabies vaccine in captive male vampire bats to quantify for the first time how rabies affects allogrooming and aggressive behaviors in the vampire bat. Compared to non-rabid vampire bats, rabid individuals reduced their allogrooming prior to death, but we did not detect increases in aggression among bats. To put our results in context, we review what is known and what remains unclear about behavioral changes of rabid vampire bats.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2020

Immune-challenged vampire bats produce fewer contact calls

Infections can affect how animals vocalize and, hence, interact with conspecifics. While this effect has been shown for mate-attraction calls, other vocalizations that facilitate social contact have received less attention. When isolated, vampire bats produce contact calls which attract highly associated groupmates. Here, we test the effect of an immune challenge on contact calling rates of individually isolated vampire bats. Sickness behavior did not appear to change call structure, but it decreased the number of contact calls produced. This effect could decrease contact with groupmates and augment other established mechanisms by which sickness reduces social encounters (e.g. mortality, lethargy, and social withdrawal or disinterest).

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2020

Sickness behaviour reduces network centrality in wild vampire bats

Sickness behaviours, like lethargy, can slow the spread of pathogens across a social network. We conducted a field experiment to investigate how sickness behaviour reduces individual connectedness in a high-resolution dynamic social network. We captured adult female vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) from a wild roost. To create sick bats, we injected a random half of the bats (n=16) with the immune-challenging substance, lipopolysaccharide, and injected control bats with saline (n=15). Over the next three days, we used proximity sensors to continuously track their associations under natural conditions. The sick bats showed a clear decrease in social connectedness (degree, strength, and eigenvector centrality). Bats in the control group encountered fewer sick bats and also spent less time near them. These effects varied by time of day and declined over 48 hours. High-resolution proximity data allow researchers to define network connections based on how a pathogen spreads (e.g. the minimum contact time or distance for transmission). We therefore show how the estimate of the sickness effect changes as network ties are defined using varying distances and durations of association. Tracking the effects of sickness behaviour on high-resolution dynamic social networks can help create more sophisticated simulations of pathogen transmission through structured populations.

animal behavior and cognition↗