A new study shows promise in a new method to vaccinate vampire bats : NPR

SCOTT SIMON, HOST:

Vampire bats might have earned their title, because the Smithsonian Channel describes them…

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED COMMENTATOR: Vampire bats are the one bats on the planet that feed on blood.

SIMON: Oh, my. Effectively, if that is not sinister sufficient, the ailments these bats carry, like rabies, can kill livestock and even people. The bats have precipitated rabies outbreaks throughout their vary from Mexico to Argentina, however a brand new research reveals promise in a brand new methodology to try to vaccinate the animals, and it depends on a much less scary a part of vampire bat habits. They’re identified to groom one another. Tonie Rocke led the analysis staff. She’s an epidemiologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Nationwide Wildlife Well being Middle and joins us now for Madison, Wisconsin. Thanks very a lot for being with us.

TONIE ROCKE: I am blissful to be right here. Thanks for having me.

SIMON: They groom one another?

ROCKE: Oh, sure, one another and themselves quite a bit, on a regular basis. It is habits that we are able to make the most of in making use of medicines – and vaccines, specifically.

SIMON: Effectively, inform us how that works.

ROCKE: Effectively, so at the moment, the best way to handle rabies depends on one thing referred to as a vampiricide. It is truly a poison that is utilized topically. The bats are launched, they usually return to their colony, they usually groom one another, eat the poison, they usually die. However sadly, this strategy can typically exacerbate rabies as a result of it causes the bats to disperse. As soon as bats begin dying of their colony, they will disperse and carry the rabies with them. So we’re searching for a unique strategy. We would use the identical sort of methodology. We would apply a vaccine topically, launch the bats, after which they go once more and lick one another and switch vaccine as an alternative of poison.

SIMON: (Laughter) That is going to sound awfully naive, however – what? – you practice them? I imply, what…

ROCKE: No. There isn’t any coaching them. We lure them, seize them, apply the fabric, they usually simply naturally return to their colonies. They usually need to get the fabric off of them as quickly as they will. So that they return. All of them lick one another and themselves, they usually devour the fabric.

SIMON: And forgive me if this sounds insensitive, however why ought to we care in regards to the survival of vampire bats?

ROCKE: It isn’t a lot the survival of vampire bats that we’re nervous about. We’re nervous about transmission of rabies to cattle and to people. And so if we vaccinate them, it improves their survival barely, however extra importantly, it stops transmission of the virus.

SIMON: Now, I collect that is what we name a preprint research as a result of you have not been peer reviewed but. However are you able to inform us the place your work goes from right here?

ROCKE: Certain. So this research, specifically, was actually describing the medium that we will use to use the vaccine to the bats in. We have needed to work on that a short while to verify it is the correct consistency, that it transfers to bats, that they’re going to eat it.

SIMON: I’ve to ask. Whenever you speak about making sure that the bats will eat it, I imply, does this imply arising with a pleasant taste?

ROCKE: No. They simply need to get it off of them. So it interferes with their flight and the whole lot. So that they’ll lick something, actually, that you just placed on them. It isn’t – in all probability does not style excellent, to be trustworthy.

SIMON: And what do you see as a few of the implications of this research, if what you imagine you have found is borne out?

ROCKE: Effectively, for one, this might be used to handle different ailments in bats, specifically, different zoonotic ailments that have an effect on individuals.

SIMON: Effectively, the implications of this for different species additionally have been fairly good, aren’t they?

ROCKE: Sure, as a result of they transmit ailments to a number of different species, definitely rabies to different wildlife, however significantly livestock in Latin America.

SIMON: Analysis epidemiologist Tonie Rocke, who’s with the U.S. Geological Survey. Thanks a lot for being with us.

ROCKE: You are welcome. My pleasure.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

Copyright © 2025 NPR. All rights reserved. Go to our web site phrases of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for additional data.

Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts might differ. Transcript textual content could also be revised to appropriate errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org could also be edited after its authentic broadcast or publication. The authoritative file of NPR’s programming is the audio file.