Pathogen Plasticity Project

Limestone karst caves support bat biodiversity across Southeast Asia, yet many remain poorly studied and are increasingly impacted by human activity. In this study recently published study, we collaborated with the Nature Conservation Society Myanmar to characterize 41 caves in Southern Shan State, Myanmar to explore how cave size, structure, microclimate, and nearby disturbance relate to bat abundance and species diversity. We found that larger caves, warmer internal temperatures, and greater distance from roads were associated with higher numbers of bats.

Mathematical models are an important tool that the EpiCenter uses to understand the mechanisms associated with emerging infectious diseases. Although the thought of the many equations involved may be intimidating, the bigger picture is that these models can help to represent the transmission of viruses from one species or individual to another, and how that varies under different, complex conditions. In a dynamic environment affected by climate change and land use alterations, understanding the ways these changes can affect disease intensity and transmission is critical.

A study published today in the International Journal of Primatology and led by the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center at the University of California, Davis, confirms living Skywalker gibbons in Myanmar. It was the endangered primate’s love songs that alerted scientists that their home extends beyond China and that Myanmar has the largest population of endangered Skywalker gibbons on Earth.

While SARS-CoV-2 has been the focus of everyone’s attention since December of 2019 and continues to impact people’s health around the world, coronaviruses are not a new concern to those studying and responding to emerging diseases and outbreaks. Prior to the pandemic, outbreaks caused by coronaviruses, such as MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-1, presented threats to public health and safety.

Last week, Dr. Christine K. Johnson, Professor and Director of the EpiCenter for Disease Dynamics, spoke as an expert panelist at the "Shared Decision-Making: A Catalyst for Real-World Research Solutions" event.

A virus previously found only in bats was detected in the antibodies of people screened for exposure to sarbecoviruses between 2017 and 2020 in rural Myanmar in Southeast Asia, according to a study from the University of California, Davis and collaborators in Myanmar and Singapore. The work is published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases.