RICHMOND, Va. -- A study published by researchers at Virginia Tech is showing that vampire bats could soon be taking up residence in the United States. That would also bring with them an ancient pathogen.
The study was published in 'Ecography' and predicts the bats, which are currently only found in Mexico and Central and South America, are on the move. Researchers also say that the U.S. could be a viable home for the species in 27 years.
The findings conclude that shifting seasonality, or the differences in temperatures between the coldest and warmest season, have vampire bats expanding their locations in search of more stable, temperate climates.
“What we found was that the distribution of vampire bats has moved northward across time due to past climate change, which has corresponded with an increase in rabies cases in many Latin American countries,” said Paige Van de Vuurst, a Ph.D. student in Virginia Tech’s Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health Graduate Program.
"Latin America is currently feeling the bite of the rabies spread through the loss of livestock, which has generated fear as the bats’ migration patterns expand," the school explained in a press release. They add that the team aimed to identify and track the bats to help contain the spread to other countries.
Collaborating with three local universities, University of La Salle, Universidad Distrital, and Universidad del Tolima, the research team traveled to Colombia to collect more than 70 samples of bat species.
Vampire bats are a known carriers of rabies, a disease known for high mortality rates and often considered the oldest pathogen known by humans, dating back 3,000 years.
You can find more about the research team's project and how they prepared for their trip to Colombia here.
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