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Sick Bats Stay Home Alone: Social distancing during the acute phase response in Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus)

View ORCID ProfileKelsey R. Moreno, Maya Weinberg, Lee Harten, Valeria B. Salinas Ramos, L. Gerardo Herrera M., Gábor Á. Czirják, Yossi Yovel
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.06.189357
Kelsey R. Moreno
1Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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  • For correspondence: kelsey.r.moreno@gmail.com
Maya Weinberg
1Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Lee Harten
1Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Valeria B. Salinas Ramos
2Department of Agriculture, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
3Estación de Biología Chamela, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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L. Gerardo Herrera M.
3Estación de Biología Chamela, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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Gábor Á. Czirják
4Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
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Yossi Yovel
1Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
5Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Abstract

Along with its many advantages, social roosting imposes a major risk of pathogen transmission. How social animals, and especially free-ranging mammals, reduce this risk is poorly documented. We used lipopolysaccharide injection to imitate bacterial sickness in both a captive and a free-ranging colony of an extremely social, long lived mammal – the Egyptian fruit bat. We monitored behavioral and physiological responses using an arsenal of methods, including on-board GPS and acceleration, video, temperature and weight measurements, and blood samples. Sick-like bats exhibited an increased immune response, as well as classical illness symptoms including fever, weight loss, anorexia, and lethargy. Notably, they also isolated themselves from the group by leaving the social cluster and avoiding contact. Free-ranging individuals ceased foraging outdoors for at least two nights. Together, these sickness behaviors demonstrate a strong, integrative immune response which promotes recovery of infected individuals while protecting their group members from transmission of pathogens, and at the same time, reducing spillover events outside the roost.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Footnotes

  • This revision contains an updated conclusion and additions of sample sizes to figure captions for increased methodological clarity.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under a CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license.
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Posted September 25, 2020.
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Sick Bats Stay Home Alone: Social distancing during the acute phase response in Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus)
Kelsey R. Moreno, Maya Weinberg, Lee Harten, Valeria B. Salinas Ramos, L. Gerardo Herrera M., Gábor Á. Czirják, Yossi Yovel
bioRxiv 2020.07.06.189357; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.06.189357
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Sick Bats Stay Home Alone: Social distancing during the acute phase response in Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus)
Kelsey R. Moreno, Maya Weinberg, Lee Harten, Valeria B. Salinas Ramos, L. Gerardo Herrera M., Gábor Á. Czirják, Yossi Yovel
bioRxiv 2020.07.06.189357; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.06.189357

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