Life Sciences Commons^™

Carnivore Incidents With U.S. Civil Aircraft, Alexander R. Crain, Jerrold L. Belant, Travis L. Devault

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Wildlife incidents with aircraft are of concern in the United States as they pose a risk to human safety and economic losses for the aviation industry. Most previous research on wildlife-aircraft incidents has emphasized birds, bats, and ungulates. We queried the Federal Aviation Administration’s National Wildlife Strike Database from 1990 to 2012 to characterize carnivore incidents with U.S. civil aircraft. We found 1016 carnivore incidents with aircraft representing at least 16 species, with coyotes (n = 404) being the species most frequently struck. California and Texas had the most reported incidents and incidents were most likely to occur at …

Influence Of Simulated Double-Crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax Auritus, Predation On Multiple-Batch Production Of Channel Catfish,Ictalurus Punctatus, Brian S. Dorr, Carole R. Engle

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The double-crested cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, is considered the primary depredating bird species on commercially produced channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, in the southeastern USA. We simulated different levels of cormorant predation on losses at harvest and economic effects on channel catfish production in a multiple-batch cropping system. We observed significant (P<0.05) declines in catfish production at increasing levels of cormorant predation in this study. This decline was mitigated by increased individual growth of catfish at higher predation rates (i.e., lower catfish densities). This mitigating effect produced a non-linear relationship with total kg of catfish harvested per pond resulting in a non-linear incremental increase in breakeven price related to predation. Costs of production ($/kg) increased with increasing predation levels up to very high levels of predation with a cumulative maximum increase in breakeven price of $0.143/kg. These results indicate that losses at harvest due to cormorant predation occur immediately but are mitigated in part by compensatory growth of individual catfish. Losses due to cormorant predation in multi-batch systems can be considerable, but there is not a 1:1 relationship between losses and kg of catfish harvested due to compensatory factors.

Shared Genetic Diversity Across The Global Invasive Range Of The Monk Parakeet Suggests A Common Restricted Geographic Origin And The Possibility Of Convergent Selection, Pim Edelaar, Severine Roques, Elizabeth A. Hobson, Anders Gonçalves Da Silva, Michael L. Avery, Michael A. Russello, Juan C. Senar, Timothy F. Wright, Martina Carrete, José L. Tella

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

While genetic diversity is hypothesized to be an important factor explaining invasion success, there is no consensus yet on how variation in source populations or demographic processes affects invasiveness. We used mitochondrial DNA haplotypic and microsatellite genotypic data to investigate levels of genetic variation and reconstruct the history of replicate invasions on three continents in a globally invasive bird, the monk parakeet (Myiopsitta monachus). We evaluated whether genetic diversity at invasive sites could be explained by (i) the native source populations from which they were derived and (ii) demographic bottlenecks during introduction. Genetic data indicated a localized source …

Erratum: The Socioecology Of Monk Parakeets: Insights Into Parrot Social Complexity, Elizabeth A. Hobson, Michael L. Avery, Timothy F. Wright

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Our recent work on Monk Parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) reported dominance steepness values that were inaccurate because of a bug in the analysis program. Updated steepness values are more moderate than initially reported, which places captive Monk Parakeet groups midway between egalitarianism and despotism.

Molecular Assessment Of Translocation And Management Of An Endangered Subspecies Of White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus Virginianus), Matthew W. Hopken, Tod M. Lum, Paul M. Meyers, Antoinette J. Piaggio

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Translocations are an effectual management strategy for the reestablishment and reconnection of endangered populations and species. However, knowledge about the evolution and ecology of the populations and species of interest are critical so that informed decisions can be made about source populations and reestablishment areas. We employed 614 base pairs of the mitochondrial control region and 15 microsatellite loci to investigate genetic variation, contemporary connectivity, and interspecific hybridization in the two remaining populations of the endangered Columbian white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus leucurus) through comparisons with the closest subspecies, O. v. ochrourus. Our data revealed the dubious taxonomic …

Shifting Perceptions Of Risk And Reward: Dynamic Selection For Human Development By Black Bears In The Western United States, H. E. Johnson, S. W. Breck, S. Baruch-Mordo, D. L. Lewis, C. W. Lackey, K. R. Wilson, J. Broderick, J. S. Mao, J. P. Beckmann

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

As landscapes across the globe experience increasing human development, it is critical to identify the behavioral responses of wildlife to this change given associated shifts in resource availability and risk from human activity. This is particularly important for large carnivores as their interactions with people are often a source of conflict, which can impede conservation efforts and require extensive management. To examine the adaptations of a large carnivore to benefits and risks associated with human development we investigated black bear behavior in three systems in the western United States. Our objectives were to (1) identify temporal patterns of selection for …

Best Practice Guidelines For Rat Eradication On Tropical Islands, B. B. Keitt, R. Griffiths, S. Boudjelas, K. Broome, S. Cranwell, J. Millett, W. Pitt, A. Samaniego-Herrera

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Invasive vertebrates are a leading cause of extinction on islands and rats (Rattus spp.) are one of the most damaging to island ecosystems. Methods to eradicate rats from islands are well established and there have been over 580 successful eradications to date. Increasingly, rat eradications are being implemented on tropical islands, a reflection of the need to protect the threatened biodiversity in the tropics. Yet rat eradications on tropical islands fail more frequently than those in temperate climates. In an effort to identify the main reasons for the lower success rate on tropical islands and possible solutions, a workshop …

Influenza A Virus H5–Specific Antibodies In Mute Swans (Cygnus Olor) In The Usa, Whitney M. Kistler, David E. Stallknecht, Camille Lebarbenchon, Kerri Pedersen, David R. Marks, Randy Mickley, Thomas J. Deliberto, Michael J. Yabsley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The use of serologic assays for influenza A virus (IAV) surveillance in wild birds has increased because of the availability of commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Recently, an H5-specific blocking ELISA (bELISA) was shown to reliably detect H5-specific antibodies to low- and highpathogenic H5 viruses in experimentally infected waterfowl. Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) were frequently associated with highly pathogenic H5N1 outbreaks in Europe and may have a similar role if highly pathogenic H5N1 is introduced into North America. We measured the prevalence of antibodies to the nucleoprotein and H5 protein in Mute Swans using three serologic assays. We …

Chemical Repellents Appear Non-Useful For Eliciting Exit Of Brown Tree Snakes From Cargo, Fred Kraus, Randal S. Stahl, William Pitt

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) is invasive in Guam, has imposed ecological and economic problems there, and threatens to be dispersed via cargo and vehicles to other islands in the Pacific, where it could be expected to inflict similar damages. Prevention of inadvertent snake export currently relies on cargo inspection and suppression of snake populations around ports, which are expensive and incompletely reliable. Hence, there has long been interest in developing additional tools to preclude snakes leaving in cargo, and fumigation with essential oils has been suggested for this role. We tested gaseous or aerosol deliveries of …

Deer Response To Exclusion From Stored Cattle Feed In Michigan, Usa, Michael J. Lavelle, Henry Campa Iii, Kyle Ledoux, Patrick J. Ryan, Justin W. Fischer, Kim M. Pepin, Chad R. Blass, Michael P. Glow, Scott E. Hygnstrom, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Disease and damage from white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) continually threaten the livelihood of agricultural producers and the economy in the United States, as well as challenge state and federal wildlife managers. Threats can be partially addressed by excluding free-ranging deer from livestock-related resources. Throughout the year, use of stored livestock feed by deer in northern Lower Michigan (MI), USA fluctuates, though their presence is relatively consistent. Since 2008, use of livestock areas and resources by deer has been reduced through intensive efforts by livestock producers in cooperation with state and federal agencies. These efforts focused on excluding deer …

Effects Of Barred Owl (Strix Varia) Range Expansion On Haemoproteus Parasite Assemblage Dynamics And Transmission In Barred And Northern Spotted Owls (Strix Occidentalis Caurina), Krista E. Lewicki, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Antoinette J. Piaggio, Lowell V. Diller, Alan B. Franklin

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The range of the barred owl (Strix varia) has expanded westward over the past century and now entirely overlaps the range of the federally threatened northern spotted owl (S. occidentalis caurina) in the Pacific Northwest. We compared Haemoproteus blood parasite assemblages among northern spotted owls in their native range and barred owls in both their native and invasive ranges to evaluate predictions of five hypotheses about parasites and biological invasions: (1) Enemy Release, where hosts benefit from a loss of parasites in their invasive range, (2) Enemy of My Enemy, where invasive hosts introduce parasites to …

Limitations Of Population Suppression For Protecting Crops From Bird Depredation: A Review, George M. Linz, Enrique H. Bucher, Sonia B. Canavelli, Ethel Rodriguez, Michael L. Avery

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Blackbirds (Icterinae) in North America, and dickcissels (Spiza americana Gmelin), eared doves (Zenaida auriculata Des Murs), and monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus Boddaert) in South America can cause serious economic damage to grain crops. Farmers frequently advocate lethal bird damage abatement measures based on the perceived need to take immediate action to avoid serious economic losses. In comparison, wildlife managers must make informed decisions based on a multitude of factors, including local, state, and national environmental laws, administrative restrictions, logistics, costs, expected outcome, and cultural considerations related to wildlife stewardship. In this paper, we focus on practicality, environmental …

West Nile Virus Antibody Decay Rate In Free-Ranging Birds, Eileen M. Mckee, Edward D. Walker, Tavis K. Anderson, Uriel D. Kitron, Jeffrey D. Brawn, Bethany L. Krebs, Christina Newman, Marilyn O. Ruiz, Rebecca S. Levine, Mary E. Carrington, Robert G. Mclean, Tony L. Goldberg, Gabriel L. Hamer

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Antibody duration, following a humoral immune response to West Nile virus (WNV) infection, is poorly understood in free-ranging avian hosts. Quantifying antibody decay rate is important for interpreting serologic results and for understanding the potential for birds to serorevert and become susceptible again. We sampled free-ranging birds in Chicago, Illinois, US, from 2005 to 2011 and Atlanta, Georgia, US, from 2010 to 2012 to examine the dynamics of antibody decay following natural WNV infection. Using serial dilutions in a blocking enzymelinked immunosorbent assay, we quantified WNV antibody titer in repeated blood samples from individual birds over time. We quantified a …

Knowledge, Attitudes And Practices Regarding Rabies And Exposure To Bats In Two Rural Communities In Guatemala, David Moran, Patricia Juliao, Danilo Alvarez, Kim A. Lindblade, James A. Ellison, Amy T. Gilbert, Brett Petersen, Charles Rupprecht, Sergio Recuenco

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background: Rabies is a fatal encephalitis caused by rabies virus, of the genus Lyssavirus. The principal reservoir for rabies in Latin America is the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus), which feeds routinely on the blood of cattle, and when livestock are scarce, may prey on other mammals, including humans. Although rabies is endemic in common vampire bat populations in Guatemala, there is limited research on the extent of exposure to bats among human populations living near bat refuges.

Results: A random sample of 270 of 473 households (57%) in two communities located within 2 Km of …

Establishing A Definition Of Polar Bear (Ursus Maritimus) Health: A Guide To Research And Management Activities, Kelly A. Park, Colleen Duncan, Pauline Noi, Christian Sonne, Kristin Laidre, Martyn Obbard, Oystein Wiig, Jon Aars, Eric Regehr, Lori L. Gustafson, Todd Atwood

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The meaning of health for wildlife and perspectives on how to assess and measure health, are not well characterized. For wildlife at risk, such as some polar bear (Ursus maritimus) subpopulations, establishing comprehensive monitoring programs that include health status is an emerging need. Environmental changes, especially loss of sea ice habitat, have raised concern about polar bear health. Effective and consistent monitoring of polar bear health requires an unambiguous definition of health. We used the Delphi method of soliciting and interpreting expert knowledge to propose a working definition of polar bear health and to identify current concerns regarding …

Utility Of Mosquito Surveillance Data For Spatial Prioritization Of Vector Control Against Dengue Viruses In Three Brazilian Cities, Kim M. Pepin, Clint B. Leach, Cecilia Marques-Toledo, Karla H. Laass, Kelly S. Paixao, Angela D. Luis, David T.S. Hayman, Nels D. Johnson, Michael G. Buhnerkempe, Scott Carver, Daniel A. Grear, Kimberly Tsao, Alvaro E. Eiras, Colleen T. Webb

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Background: Vector control remains the primary defense against dengue fever. Its success relies on the assumption that vector density is related to disease transmission. Two operational issues include the amount by which mosquito density should be reduced to minimize transmission and the spatio-temporal allotment of resources needed to reduce mosquito density in a cost-effective manner. Recently, a novel technology, MI-Dengue, was implemented city-wide in several Brazilian cities to provide real-time mosquito surveillance data for spatial prioritization of vector control resources. We sought to understand the role of city-wide mosquito density data in predicting disease incidence in order to provide …

Effect Of Travel Distance, Home Range, And Bait On The Management Of Small Indian Mongooses, Herpestes Auropunctatus, William C. Pitt, Robert T. Sugihara, Are R. Berentsen

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Selection of preferred baits to attract mongooses to traps and other control devices is paramount in the effective management and control of this invasive predatory mammal. We examined the attractiveness of selected food items as baits to free-ranging mongooses in field trials at two different habitats on the island of Hawaii. We utilized radio telemetry to calculate mongoose home range and population density estimates. We implanted microchips to remotely identify and record visitations by mongooses to the candidate baits and investigated bait visitation rates, bait attraction distances, and bait discovery times. Mongooses in this study foraged over a wide area …

Evaluation Of Resident Canada Goose Movements To Reduce The Risk Of Goose-Aircraft Collisions At Suburban Airports, M. Elizabeth Rutledge, Christopher E. Moorman, Brian E. Washburn, Christopher S. Deperno

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Resident (non-migratory) Canada goose (Branta canadensis) populations in suburban environments pose risks to human health and safety. Specifically, the relatively large size and gregarious behavior of geese combined with an overlap in aircraft flight space pose substantial risk of property damage and human fatalities from goose-aircraft collisions. We estimated home range and core use areas of resident Canada geese and evaluated goose movements to better define the risk of goose-aircraft collisions around Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA.We placed satellite transmitters on 16 of 763 neck- and leg-banded geese to identify and track individuals over …

Modeling The Economic Impacts Of Double-Crested Cormorant Damage To A Recreational Fishery, Stephanie A. Shwiff, Katy N. Kirkpatrick, Travis L. Devault, Steven S. Shwiff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The double-crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) has undergone a significant range expansion in the Great Lakes area of the United States since the 1970s, negatively impacting native fish populations and sport fisheries. Effective management of wildlife requires policies and practices that quantify their economic impacts, which is often complicated by multiplier effects in the regional economy. This analysis estimates the potential direct and regional economic impacts of the cormorant to a recreational fishery. We estimated that the potential economic loss was on average $5 million to $66 million annually, as well as 66 to 929 job-years in the region …

Progressive Accumulation Of The Abnormal Conformer Of The Prion Protein And Spongiform Encephalopathy In The Obex Of Nonsymptomatic And Symptomatic Rocky Mountain Elk (Cervus Elaphus Nelsoni) With Chronic Wasting Disease, Terry R. Spraker, Thomas Gidlewski, Jenny G. Powers, Tracy Nichols, Aru Balachandran, Bruce Cummings, Margaret A. Wild, Kurt C. Vercauteren, Katherine I. O’Rourke

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The purpose of our study was to describe the progressive accumulation of the abnormal conformer of the prion protein (PrP^CWD) and spongiform degeneration in a single section of brain stem in Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) with chronic wasting disease (CWD). A section of obex from 85 CWD-positive elk was scored using the presence and abundance of PrP^CWD immunoreactivity and spongiform degeneration in 10 nuclear regions and the presence and abundance of PrP^CWD in 10 axonal tracts, the subependymal area of the fourth ventricle, and the thin subpial astrocytic layer (glial limitans). Data …

Leptodeira Septentrionalis (Northern Cat-Eyed Snake), Richard M. Engeman, Carrie Engeman

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Beginning at 1838 h on 30 May 2014 at the Caves Branch Jungle Lodge in Belize, we observed an encounter between a Leptodeira septentrionalis and an Incilius valliceps that appeared to have initiated as a predation attempt by the toad on the snake. The toad (SVL ca. 9 cm) had the dorsal portion of the snake’s head in its mouth (Fig. 1); however, the toad was motionless and the snake (with its head in the toad’s mouth) was retracting backwards up a stone wall into a crevice, pulling the toad with it. The snake’s lower jaw was beneath the lower …

Dynamics Of Virus Shedding And Antibody Responses In Influenza A Virus-Infected Feral Swine, Hailiang Sun, Fred L. Cunningham, Jillian Harris, Yifei Xu, Li-Ping Long, Katie C. Hanson-Dorr, John A. Baroch, Paul Fioranelli, Mark W. Lutman, Tao Li, Kerri Pedersen, Brandon S. Schmit, Jim Cooley, Xiaoxu Lin, Richard G. Jarman, Thomas J. Deliberto, Xui-Feng Wan

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Given their free-ranging habits, feral swine could serve as reservoirs or spatially dynamic ‘mixing vessels’ for influenza A virus (IAV). To better understand virus shedding patterns and antibody response dynamics in the context of IAV surveillance amongst feral swine, we used IAV of feral swine origin to perform infection experiments. The virus was highly infectious and transmissible in feral swine, and virus shedding patterns and antibody response dynamics were similar to those in domestic swine. In the virus-inoculated and sentinel groups, virus shedding lasted ≤6 and ≤9 days, respectively. Antibody titres in inoculated swine peaked at 1 : 840 on …

Is Anthropogenic Cougar Mortality Compensated By Changes In Natural Mortality In Utah? Insight From Long-Term Studies, Michael L. Wolfe, David N. Koons, David C. Stoner, Patricia Terletzky, Eric M. Gese, David M. Choate, Lise M. Aubry

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Understanding the interplay between exploitation and natural mortality is essential to guiding sustainable conservation of wildlife. Exploitation of carnivores by humans has long been thought to result in compensatory reductions of natural mortality among survivors. If rates of human exploitation exceed natural mortality, however, such actions will ‘add’ to overall mortality and could imperil the sustainability of such actions. We applied competing risk analyses to >16 years of data for heavily harvested and semi-protected cougar populations in Utah to test the additive and compensatory mortality hypotheses, while accounting for parameter uncertainty. We additionally tested for presence of the two primary …

Threats To Humans And Beasts, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The transmission of pathogens from wildlife to livestock and humans is an increasing concern across the globe. Dr Kurt VerCauteren and colleagues are performing multifaceted research into wildlife diseases and looking for new and practical means of reducing their occurrence and burden.

Evaluation Of Resident Canada Goose Movements To Reduce The Risk Of Goose- Aircraft Collisions At Suburban Airports, M. Elizabeth Rutledge, Christopher E. Moorman, Brian E. Washburn, Christopher S. Deperno

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Resident (non-migratory) Canada goose (Branta canadensis) populations in suburban

environments pose risks to human health and safety. Specifically, the relatively large size and gregarious

behavior of geese combined with an overlap in aircraft flight space pose substantial risk of property damage and human fatalities from goose-aircraft collisions. We estimated home range and core use areas of resident Canada geese and evaluated goose movements to better define the risk of goose-aircraft collisions around Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA.We placed satellite transmitters on 16 of 763 neck- and leg-banded geese to identify and track individuals over an 18-month …

Subtype-Specific Influenza A Virus Antibodies In Canada Geese (Branta Canadensis), Whitney M. Kistler, David E. Stallknecht, Thomas J. Deliberto, Kyle Van Why, Michael J. Yabsley

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Historically, surveillance for influenza A viruses (IAVs) in wild birds has relied on viral detection assays. This was largely due to poor performance of serological assays in wild birds; however, recently developed commercial serological assays have improved the ability to detect IAV antibodies in wild birds. Serological surveillance for IAV antibodies in Canada geese (Branta canadensis) has shown that, despite a low prevalence of virus isolations, Canada geese are frequently exposed to IAVs and that exposure increases with latitude, which follows virus isolation prevalence patterns observed in dabbling ducks. The objectives of this study were to further evaluate IAV antibodies …

The Effects Of Radar On Avian Behavior: Implications For Wildlife Management At Airports, Eleanor Sheridan, Jacquelyn Randolet, Travis Lee Devault, Thomas Walter Seamans, Bradley Fields Blackwell, Esteban Fernández-Juricic

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Airports often contain foraging, breeding, and roosting resources for wildlife. Airports also have different types of radars to assist with air traffic control, monitoring weather, and tracking wildlife that could become a risk for collision with aircraft. The effect of radar electromagnetic radiation on wildlife behavior is not well understood. The goal of this study was to determine whether bird behavior is affected by radar in two contexts: stationary radar (e.g., surveillance radar) and approaching radar (e.g., aircraft weather radar). We used brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) as a model species as they are common at airports. We hypothesized that radar …

Barriers To Seed And Seedling Survival Of Once-Common Hawaiian Palms: The Role Of Invasive Rats And Ungulates, Aaron B. Shiels, Donald R. Drake

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Mammalian herbivores can limit plant recruitment and affect forest composition. Loulu palms (Pritchardia spp.) once dominated many lowland ecosystems in Hawai‘i, and non-native rats (Rattus spp.), ungulates (e.g. pigs Sus scrofa, goats Capra hircus) and humans have been proposed asmajor causes of their decline. In lowland wet forest, we experimentally determined the vulnerability of seeds and seedlings of two species of Pritchardia, P. maideniana and P. hillebrandii, by measuring their removal by introduced vertebrates; we also used motion-sensing cameras to identify the animals responsible for Pritchardia removal. We assessed potential seed dispersal of P. maideniana by spool-andline tracking, and conducted …

Exposure To Rabies In Small Indian Mongooses (Herpestes Auropunctatus) From Two Regions In Puerto Rico, Are R. Berentsen, Shylo R. Johnson, Amy T. Gilbert, Kurt C. Vercauteren

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The small Indian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) was introduced to several Caribbean Islands to control rat (Rattus spp.) damage to sugarcane plantations. Mongooses failed at suppressing rat populations and are now considered pests throughout most of their introduced range. Importantly, mongooses are rabies reservoirs on several Caribbean Islands. In Puerto Rico, mongooses have been implicated in up to 70%of reported animal rabies cases. There is no rabies vaccination program for wildlife in Puerto Rico, and data on rabies in mongooses are limited. We conducted a serosurvey of mongooses in two different ecologic environments in Puerto Rico: El Yunque National Forest and …

Rabies Surveillance Among Bats In Tennessee, Usa, 1996–2010, Amy T. Gilbert, Gary F. Mccracken, Lorinda L. Sheeler, Lisa I. Muller, Dorcas O'Rourke, William J. Kelch, John C. New Jr.

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Rabies virus (RABV) infects multiple bat species in the Americas, and enzootic foci perpetuate in bats principally via intraspecific transmission. In recent years, bats have been implicated in over 90% of human rabies cases in the US. In Tennessee, two human cases of rabies have occurred since 1960: one case in 1994 associated with a tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) RABV variant and another in 2002 associated with the tricolored/silver-haired bat (P. subflavus/ Lasionycteris noctivagans) RABV variant. From 1996 to 2010, 2,039 bats were submitted for rabies testing in Tennessee. Among 1,943 bats in satisfactory condition for testing and with a …