Roosting behaviour and habitat selection of Pteropus giganteus reveals potential links to Nipah virus epidemiology.

ABSTRACT: 1. Flying foxes Pteropus spp. play a key role in forest regeneration as seed dispersers and are also the reservoir of many viruses, including Nipah virus in Bangladesh. Little is known about their habitat requirements, particularly in South Asia. Identifying Pteropus habitat preferences could assist in understanding the risk of zoonotic disease transmission broadly, and in Bangladesh, could help explain the spatial distribution of human Nipah virus cases. 2. We analysed characteristics of Pteropus giganteus roosts and constructed an ecological niche model to identify suitable habitat in Bangladesh. We also assessed the distribution of suitable habitat in relation to the location of human Nipah virus cases. 3. Compared to non-roost trees, P. giganteus roost trees

SUBMITTER: Hahn MB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4000083 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature