Influence of age and body condition on astrovirus infection of bats in Singapore: An evolutionary and epidemiological analysis

Mendenhall, Ian H.; Skiles, Maggie M.; Neves, Erica Sena; Borthwick, Sophie A.; Low, Dolyce H.W.; Liang, Benjamin; Lee, Benjamin P.Y.-H.; Su, Yvonne C.F.; Smith, Gavin J.D.

Bats have several traits that make them ideal reservoirs, including being long lived, the ability to fly, and living in large roosts [59] . Contact rates drive infectious disease transmission and larger colony sizes may play a role in transmission [60, 61] through periodic introductions of immunologically naïve individuals [46] . Differences in roosting behaviors between the three pteropodid bats in Singapore may be a reason why astroviruses were only detected in E. spelaea. This species roosts in large colonies and the study site has over 3000 individuals, while Cynopterus bat species roost in small colonies, one study observing that 87.5% of colonies contained fewer than 15 individuals [62] . The Penthetor lucasi colony in Singapore roost in a single-species, artificial cave and unless the founding individuals introduced astroviruses, the colony may be uninfected.