Spatial distribution of bat-related complaints and bloodmeal sources of the common vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus) in the City of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

de Souza, Caio Vinicius Almeida Barreto; Carneiro, Aroldo Jose Borges; Lustosa, Ricardo; Souza, Barbara Maria Parana da Silva; Lambert, Sabrina Mota; de Brito, Vinicius Jose da Silva Cardoso; Zeppelini, Caio Graco; Franke, Carlos Roberto

doi:10.1007/s11252-025-01770-y

Forskningsartikel2025Vetenskapligt granskad

Spatial distribution of bat-related complaints and bloodmeal sources of the common vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus) in the City of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

de Souza, Caio Vinicius Almeida Barreto; Carneiro, Aroldo Jose Borges; Lustosa, Ricardo; Souza, Barbara Maria Parana da Silva; Lambert, Sabrina Mota; de Brito, Vinicius Jose da Silva Cardoso; Zeppelini, Caio Graco; Franke, Carlos Roberto

Sammanfattning

Urban structures offer several types of shelters for wild species that have adapted to these environments, such as bats. Among the bat species living in cities, the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus, requires particular attention because of its direct involvement in the transmission of the rabies virus. The present work aims to identify the prey species consumed by D. rotundus through gastrointestinal content analysis, via molecular data (PCR) from individuals belonging to colonies established in the city of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. In addition, we carried out a historical survey of occurrences registered by the Center for Zoonoses Control in Salvador, Bahia (CCZ), related to bats over a period of seven years (2013-2019) to analyze the profile of complaints involving bat populations, map the location of colonies and records and generate Kernel density maps. Ten samples of gastrointestinal content from bats have been identified: six from chicken (Gallus gallus), three from cattle (Bos taurus), and one from human (Homo sapiens). The findings suggest diversified bloodmeal sources exploited by bats and a still recurring practice of raising livestock in urban environments, showing cultural habits brought about by the migration of human populations to large cities in the past decades. The spatial analysis of bat-related complaints recorded by the CCZ identified areas with a high concentration of calls, potential urban roosting sites, and clusters of attacks and accidents involving bats. Results may contribute to the improvement of the population control of D. rotundus and to the prevention of the reintroduction of the rabies virus in urban centers.

Nyckelord

Urban roosts; Environmental factors; Molecular biology; Metropolitan areas

Publicerad i

Urban Ecosystems
2025, volym: 28, nummer: 4, artikelnummer: 162
Utgivare: SPRINGER

SLU författare

Zeppelini, Caio Graco
- Institutionen för vilt, fisk och miljö, Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet

UKÄ forskningsämne

Ekologi

Publikationens identifierare

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-025-01770-y

Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/143135