Human & Animal Health

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.

A new publication provides evidence that particularly virulent strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, the leading cause of seafood-associated illness, are infecting both humans and sea otters along the coast of North American. Using genomic data collected over nearly two decades, researchers showed that although sea otters are exposed to a wide range of V. parahaemolyticus strains, disease in otters is most often linked to strains carrying high-risk virulence factors.

Scalable, non-invasive wildlife surveillance is central to the Center for Pandemic Insight's mission, especially for species and ecosystems under threat by zoonotic diseases. The Marine Mammal Center’s hospital and visitor center based in Sausalito, California, treats up to 1,800 sick and injured seals, sea lions, sea otters, and other marine mammals each year, and this team has become a key collaborator in advancing CPI’s work.

Emerging infectious diseases that jump from animals to humans, known as zoonoses, have become an increasing global health concern. From Ebola viruses to new strains of influenza, outbreaks of these pathogens most frequently occur where people and wildlife come into close contact. One such place is the area surrounding Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a region rich in biodiversity with nearby human populations that depend on the forest for their livelihoods.

This seemingly simple question has been the central force driving of Sarah Lagattuta's research efforts for the past four years. Bat species play critical roles in global disease dynamics, and understanding their populations is key to developing predictive models for emerging infectious disease risk. But how do we accurately count the bats ourselves, and better yet, how do we leverage machine learning to count them for us?

Recently, our team adapted the Living Safely With Bats Book for use in the Amazonian region of Peru, where people living in close proximity to bats is common. Originally developed for use in Africa and Asia (Martinez et al. 2022), the Living Safely with Bats books are moderated picture books designed to be shared with communities by a local facilitator. These books provide straightforward advice on how to coexist safely with bats using a One Health approach, and our team was excited to expand their use to a new region.

The “pre-emergence” phase of pandemics is the focus of a new center funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and led by the University of California, Davis. The NSF Center for Pandemic Insights (NSF CPI) aims to harness new technologies and develop sensing to detect, investigate, and ultimately prevent pandemics at their source.

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.