OmniVira

Literature detail

The role of landscape composition and configuration on Pteropus giganteus roosting ecology and Nipah virus spillover risk in Bangladesh.

Micah B Hahn1,2,3,4,5 Emily S Gurley Jonathan H Epstein Mohammad S Islam Jonathan A Patz Peter Daszak Stephen P Luby
Affiliations 5 institutions
  1. Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, SAGE (Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment), Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
  2. International Center for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b), Dhaka, Bangladesh
  3. EcoHealth Alliance, New York City, New York
  4. Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services, Dhaka, Bangladesh
  5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
PMID 24323516 2014 Am J Trop Med Hyg eng ppublish
PubMed DOI Browse context

Article

Publication summary

Nipah virus has caused recurring outbreaks in central and northwest Bangladesh (the "Nipah Belt"). Little is known about roosting behavior of the fruit bat reservoir, Pteropus giganteus, or factors driving spillover. We compared human population density and ecological characteristics of case villages and control villages (no reported outbreaks) to understand their role in P. giganteus roosting ecology and Nipah virus spillover risk. Nipah Belt villages have a higher human population density (P < 0.0001), and forests that are more fragmented than elsewhere in Bangladesh (0.50 versus 0.32 patches/km(2), P < 0.0001). The number of roosts in a village correlates with forest fragmentation (r = 0.22, P = 0.03). Villages with a roost containing Polyalthia longifolia or Bombax ceiba trees were more likely case villages (odds ratio [OR] = 10.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3-90.6). This study suggests that, in addition to human population density, composition and structure of the landscape shared by P. giganteus and humans may influence the geographic distribution of Nipah virus spillovers.

Behavior, Animal Disease Outbreaks Animals Bangladesh Bombax Case-Control Studies Chiroptera Confidence Intervals Ecology Henipavirus Infections Humans Nipah Virus Odds Ratio Polyalthia Risk Factors Trees

Structured evidence records

Evidence records

3 total
Reservoir Ecology 1 records
Reservoir Ecology Extraction confidence 0.90
Key finding

Nipah virus reservoir bats Pteropus giganteus show roosting patterns associated with forest fragmentation, human population density, and the presence of specific tree species in Bangladesh.

Virus
NiV
Location
Bangladesh Bangladesh
Supporting text

We compared human population density and ecological characteristics of case villages and control villages to understand their role in P. giganteus roosting ecology and Nipah virus spillover risk. The number of roosts in a village correlates with forest fragmentation (r = 0.22, P = 0.03). Villages with a roost containing Polyalthia longifolia or Bombax ceiba trees were more likely case villages.

Method
case-control study; ecological comparison
Geographic raw
Bangladesh
Country inferred
Bangladesh
Spillover Event 1 records
Spillover Event Extraction confidence 0.95
Key finding

Human Nipah virus infections in Bangladesh are linked to spillover events from fruit bats (Pteropus giganteus) acting as the animal reservoir, with landscape factors influencing the occurrence of these transmissions.

Virus
NiV
Location
Bangladesh Bangladesh
Supporting text

Nipah virus has caused recurring outbreaks in central and northwest Bangladesh (the 'Nipah Belt'). Little is known about roosting behavior of the fruit bat reservoir, Pteropus giganteus, or factors driving spillover. ... This study suggests that composition and structure of the landscape shared by P. giganteus and humans may influence the geographic distribution of Nipah virus spillovers.

Study design
case-control study
Transmission direction
animal-to-human
Geographic raw
Bangladesh
Country inferred
Bangladesh
Zoonotic Surveillance 1 records
Zoonotic Surveillance Extraction confidence 0.70
Key finding

Ecological monitoring of Pteropus giganteus roost sites in Bangladesh showed that forest fragmentation and specific tree species were associated with Nipah virus outbreak villages.

Virus
NiV
Location
Bangladesh Bangladesh
Supporting text

We compared human population density and ecological characteristics of case villages and control villages (no reported outbreaks) to understand their role in P. giganteus roosting ecology and Nipah virus spillover risk.

Geographic raw
Bangladesh
Country inferred
Bangladesh