A new study shows promise in a new method to vaccinate vampire bats : NPR

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Vampire bats might have earned their identify, because the Smithsonian Channel describes them…

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UNIDENTIFIED COMMENTATOR: Vampire bats are the one bats on the earth that feed on blood.

SIMON: Oh, my. Properly, if that is not sinister sufficient, the illnesses these bats carry, like rabies, can kill livestock and even people. The bats have brought on rabies outbreaks throughout their vary from Mexico to Argentina, however a brand new research reveals promise in a brand new technique to try to vaccinate the animals, and it depends on a much less scary a part of vampire bat habits. They’re identified to groom one another. Tonie Rocke led the analysis workforce. She’s an epidemiologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Nationwide Wildlife Well being Heart and joins us now for Madison, Wisconsin. Thanks very a lot for being with us.

TONIE ROCKE: I am pleased to be right here. Thanks for having me.

SIMON: They groom one another?

ROCKE: Oh, sure, one another and themselves lots, on a regular basis. It is habits that we are able to benefit from in making use of medicines – and vaccines, particularly.

SIMON: Properly, inform us how that works.

ROCKE: Properly, so at present, the best way to handle rabies depends on one thing known as a vampiricide. It is really a poison that is utilized topically. The bats are launched, they usually return to their colony, they usually groom one another, eat the poison, they usually die. However sadly, this method can generally exacerbate rabies as a result of it causes the bats to disperse. As soon as bats begin dying of their colony, they’re going to disperse and carry the rabies with them. So we’re in search of a unique method. We might use the identical form of technique. We might apply a vaccine topically, launch the bats, after which they go once more and lick one another and switch vaccine as an alternative of poison.

SIMON: (Laughter) That is going to sound awfully naive, however – what? – you practice them? I imply, what…

ROCKE: No. There is no coaching them. We lure them, seize them, apply the fabric, they usually simply naturally return to their colonies. And so they need to get the fabric off of them as quickly as they’ll. In order that they return. All of them lick one another and themselves, they usually eat the fabric.

SIMON: And forgive me if this sounds insensitive, however why ought to we care concerning the survival of vampire bats?

ROCKE: It isn’t a lot the survival of vampire bats that we’re apprehensive about. We’re apprehensive about transmission of rabies to cattle and to people. And so if we vaccinate them, it improves their survival barely, however extra importantly, it stops transmission of the virus.

SIMON: Now, I collect that is what we name a preprint research as a result of you have not been peer reviewed but. However are you able to inform us the place your work goes from right here?

ROCKE: Positive. So this research, particularly, was actually describing the medium that we’ll use to use the vaccine to the bats in. We have needed to work on that a short time to ensure it is the best consistency, that it transfers to bats, that they will eat it.

SIMON: I’ve to ask. Once you discuss guaranteeing that the bats will eat it, I imply, does this imply arising with a pleasant taste?

ROCKE: No. They simply need to get it off of them. So it interferes with their flight and all the pieces. In order that they’ll lick something, actually, that you simply placed on them. It isn’t – most likely does not style excellent, to be trustworthy.

SIMON: And what do you see as a number of the implications of this research, if what you consider you’ve got found is borne out?

ROCKE: Properly, for one, this might be used to handle different illnesses in bats, particularly, different zoonotic illnesses that have an effect on folks.

SIMON: Properly, the implications of this for different species additionally have been fairly good, aren’t they?

ROCKE: Sure, as a result of they transmit illnesses to plenty of different species, actually rabies to different wildlife, however notably livestock in Latin America.

SIMON: Analysis epidemiologist Tonie Rocke, who’s with the U.S. Geological Survey. Thanks a lot for being with us.

ROCKE: You are welcome. My pleasure.

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