Abstract
The role of the Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus) as a vector for chronic wasting disease (CWD) remains uninvestigated, and the effects of prion exposure in vampire bats are unknown. Desmodus feeds on the blood of various animals including deer, livestock, and humans across its expansive distribution. Given the continued southward spread of CWD in North American cervid populations and potential for the disease to already be circulating in Mexico, where it may overlap with established Desmodus populations, it is critical to assess potential risks at the interface between vampire bats and prion-infected hosts. Desmodus is also predicted to expand its range northward, potentially establishing populations in CWD-endemic regions of the southern United States, further underscoring the need for proactive surveillance and research on the ecological and epidemiological implications of this emerging interface. We explore aspects of prion biology and the natural history of Desmodus, highlighting factors that may contribute to prion exposure events among vampire bats and sympatric mammals. In light of Desmodus feeding behaviors, vampire bats could experience elevated prion exposures over time if they encounter CWD-positive prey. We recommend risk assessments and surveillance to evaluate vampire bat-prion transmission pathways that could impact mammalian wildlife, livestock, and human health.
Chronic wasting disease (CWD), a fatal prion disease of cervids, is rapidly expanding across North America and may already be circulating in northern Mexico. Vampire bats are predicted to overlap with CWD-positive deer populations; thus, their feeding behavior raises the possibility of prion exposure and novel prion transmission pathways. This emerging interface underscores the need for targeted surveillance and risk assessment to evaluate potential impacts on wildlife, livestock, and public health.
ResumenEl papel del vampiro com & uacute;n (Desmodus rotundus) como vector de la Enfermedad de desgaste cr & oacute;nico (CWD, por sus siglas en ingl & eacute;s) sigue sin ser investigado y se desconocen los efectos de la exposici & oacute;n a priones en murci & eacute;lagos vampiro. Desmodus se alimenta de la sangre de diversos animales incluidos ciervos, ganado y humanos a lo largo de su amplia distribuci & oacute;n. Dada la continua propagaci & oacute;n de la CWD hacia el sur en las poblaciones de c & eacute;rvidos de Am & eacute;rica del Norte y la posibilidad de que la enfermedad ya est & eacute; circulando en M & eacute;xico, donde podr & iacute;a superponerse a las poblaciones establecidas de Desmodus, es fundamental evaluar los riesgos potenciales en la interfaz entre murci & eacute;lagos vampiro y hospedadores infectados con priones. Se prev & eacute; tambi & eacute;n que Desmodus expanda su rango de distribuci & oacute;n hacia el norte, posiblemente estableciendo poblaciones en regiones del sur de Estados Unidos donde la CWD es end & eacute;mica, lo que resalta la necesidad de vigilancia proactiva e investigaci & oacute;n sobre las implicaciones ecol & oacute;gicas y epidemiol & oacute;gicas de esta interfaz emergente. Exploramos aspectos de la biolog & iacute;a de los priones y la historia natural de Desmodus, destacando los factores que pueden contribuir a eventos de exposici & oacute;n a priones entre los murci & eacute;lagos vampiro y los mam & iacute;feros simp & aacute;tricos. Considerando los h & aacute;bitos alimenticios de Desmodus, los murci & eacute;lagos vampiro podr & iacute;an experimentar exposiciones elevadas a priones si se alimentan de presas positivas para CWD. Recomendamos realizar an & aacute;lisis de riesgo y vigilancia para evaluar las posibles v & iacute;as de transmisi & oacute;n murci & eacute;lago vampiro-prion que podr & iacute;an afectar a mam & iacute;feros silvestres, al ganado y a la salud humana.