Parasite and viral species richness of Southeast Asian bats: Fragmentation of area distribution matters

Gay, Noellie; Olival, Kevin J.; Bumrungsri, Sara; Siriaroonrat, Boripat; Bourgarel, Mathieu; Morand, Serge

We examine determinants of PSR (endoparasite, ectoparasite and viral) in SEA bats. First, we used model residuals as a novel prioritization method to target bat species for a cost-effective pathogen discovery. Secondly, results of comparative analyses suggest that the distribution shape is a significant determinant of PSR, as well as colony size for viruses and distribution size for ectoparasites. Several potential mechanisms may explain the correlation with bat distribution shape through a border effect, although the life-cycle and ecology of these parasites may be of importance, with opposite trends in different parasite groups. Environmental habitat and distribution of bats seem to play a central role in shaping species diversity of parasites and viruses. Ongoing global environmental change is affecting the distribution of bats through the modification of borders, i.e., by decreasing the distribution size and increasing the area shape. Our results suggest that changes in bat distribution shape will alter parasite diversity, with a decrease for endoparasites and viruses. Our study is an important first step in understanding parasite and pathogen species richness in bats from an emerging disease hotspot. However, accurate investigation of emerging risks will require additional information on the role of ecological changes in PSR and contact rates between bats, humans or their domestic animals. Moreover, our study highlights the deficiency of ecological and parasitological data on bat species. Of the 292 species inventoried in SEA only 81 species could be included in our comparative analysis.