A5038346563- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Zoonotic diseases and public health
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research
- Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Marine animal studies overview
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Animal Disease Management and Epidemiology
- Rabies epidemiology and control
- Environmental and Biological Research in Conflict Zones
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Ecology and biodiversity studies
- Digital Imaging for Blood Diseases
- COVID-19 epidemiological studies
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Radiomics and Machine Learning in Medical Imaging
- Gut microbiota and health
- Animal Virus Infections Studies
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology
Maasai Mara University
2016-2025
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville
2019-2023
American Museum of Natural History
2022
Tulane University
2022
Bat Conservation International
2022
Swedish Veterinary Agency
2019
Helsinki University Hospital
2019
Public Health Agency of Sweden
2019
University of Nairobi
2019
Karolinska University Hospital
2019
Abstract Vespertilionidae (class Mammalia) constitutes the largest family of bats, with ~500 described species. Nonetheless, systematic relationships within this are poorly known, especially among pipistrelle-like bats tribes Vespertilionini and Pipistrellini. Perhaps as a result their drab pelage lack obvious morphological characters, genus species limits remain resolved, particularly in Africa, where more than one-fifth all vesper bat occur. Further exacerbating problem is accelerating...
Bombali virus (genus Ebolavirus) was identified in organs and excreta of an Angolan free-tailed bat (Mops condylurus) Kenya. Complete genome analysis revealed 98% nucleotide sequence similarity to the prototype from Sierra Leone. No Ebola virus-specific RNA or antibodies were detected febrile humans area who reported contact with bats.
Recent studies of mammalian microbiomes have identified strong phylogenetic effects on bacterial community composition. Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) are among the most speciose mammals planet and only mammal capable true flight. We examined 1,236 16S rRNA amplicon libraries gut, oral, skin microbiota from 497 Afrotropical bats (representing 9 families, 20 genera, 31 species) to assess extent which host ecology phylogeny predict microbial similarity in bats. In contrast recent host-microbe...
In the light of urgency raised by COVID-19 pandemic, global investment in wildlife virology is likely to increase, and new surveillance programmes will identify hundreds novel viruses that might someday pose a threat humans. To support extensive task laboratory characterization, scientists may increasingly rely on data-driven rubrics or machine learning models learn from known zoonoses which animal pathogens could health. We synthesize findings an interdisciplinary workshop zoonotic risk...
Wind energy production is growing rapidly worldwide in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, wind not environmentally neutral. Negative impacts on volant animals, such as bats, include fatalities at turbines and habitat loss due land-use change displacement. Siting away from ecologically sensitive areas implementing measures are critical protecting bat populations. Restricting turbine operations during periods of high activity the most effective form mitigation currently...
Keys and ancillary information are provided to summarize understanding of the diversity bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in East Africa. We reviewed literature online databases aid identification 145 species known inhabit Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda. National tallies were as follows: 108; 105; Uganda, 98; 49; 33. Uganda harbor three Africa's four richest bat faunas, but all incompletely known. Ordination analysis via multidimensional scaling suggests that African fauna shares...
COVID-19 has spread around the globe, with massive impacts on global human health, national economies and conservation activities. In timely editorial about in maelstrom of COVID-19, Evans et al. (2020) urged community to collaborate other relevant sectors society search for solutions challenges posed by current pandemic, as well future zoonotic outbreaks. Considering association bats (Zhou al., 2020), bat conservationists will undoubtedly be key actors this dialogue, thus an action plan how...
Host-associated microbiomes are integral components of host health, but microbiome community structure varies among and within hosts. Reconciling variability with the apparent dependence hosts on function, characterizing how functional divergence proceeds across niches, remains challenging. Here, through study gut diets three insectivorous bat species we characterize is shaped by predicted properties members. We found that while diet composition do not significantly relate to each other,...
The Old World insectivorous bat genus Rhinolophus is highly speciose. Over the last 15 years, number of its recognized species has grown from 77 to 106, but knowledge their interrelationships not kept pace. Species limits and phylogenetic relationships this morphologically conservative group remain problematic due both poor sampling across Afrotropics repeated instances mitochondrial-nuclear discordance. Recent intensive surveys in East Africa neighboring regions, coupled with parallel...
Simultaneous use of domestic spaces by humans and wildlife is little understood, despite global ubiquity, can create an interface for human exposure to pathogens. Bats are a pervasive synanthropic taxon associated with several pathogens that spill over cause disease in humans. Urbanization has destroyed much natural bat habitat and, response, many species increasingly buildings as roosts. The purpose this study was characterize interactions bats shared assess potential spillover bat-borne We...
Bats living in close contact with people Rwanda were tested for evidence of infection viruses zoonotic potential. Mucosal swabs from 503 bats representing 17 species sampled 2010 to 2014 and screened by consensus PCR 11 viral families. Samples negative all families except coronaviruses, which detected 27 belonging eight species. Known coronaviruses included the betacorona viruses: Kenya bat Eidolon coronavirus, Bat coronavirus HKU9, as well an alphacoronavirus, Chaerephon coronavirus. Novel...
Previously identified only in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and southeastern Kenya, Bombali virus-infected Mops condylurus bats were recently found »750 km away western Kenya. This finding supports the role of M. as hosts potential for virus circulation across bats' range sub-Saharan Africa.
Abstract Migrating grazers and carnivores respond to seasonal changes in the environment often match peaks resource abundance. However, it is unclear whether how frugivorous animals use phenological events time migration, especially tropics. The straw‐coloured fruit bat Eidolon helvum , Africa's most gregarious bat, forms large colonies throughout much of sub‐Saharan Africa. We hypothesized that aggregations E. timing their migration with phenologies plant growth or precipitation. Using...
Understanding biodiversity patterns as well drivers of population declines, and range losses provides crucial baselines for monitoring conservation. However, the information needed to evaluate such trends remains unstandardised sparsely available many taxonomic groups habitats, including cave-dwelling bats cave ecosystems. We developed DarkCideS 1.0 ( https://darkcides.org/ ), a global database bat caves species synthesised from publicly datasets. The is by far largest bats, which contains...
Summary 1. Ecologically sustainable forest management is being implemented to address the competing demands of timber production and conservation, but its effectiveness poorly understood. Bats play key roles in ecosystems are sensitive harvesting, so potential indicators whether successfully achieving biodiversity conservation forests. 2. We evaluated logging impacts jarrah eucalypt forests south‐western Australia by examining insectivorous bat activity, feeding buzzes insect biomass at four...
Many wildlife species are synanthropic and use structures built by humans, creating a high-risk interface for human-wildlife conflict zoonotic pathogen spillover. However, studies that investigate features of urbanizing areas attract or repel currently lacking. We surveyed 85 buildings used bats 172 neighbouring unused (controls) in southeastern Kenya during 2021 2022 evaluated the role microclimate structural attributes building selection. identified eight bat using buildings, with over 25%...
Most human emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic, originating in animal hosts prior to spillover humans. Prioritizing the surveillance of wildlife that overlaps with humans and activities can increase likelihood detecting viruses a high potential for infection. Here, we obtained fecal swabs from two fruit bat species—Eidolon helvum (n = 6) Epomophorus wahlbergi 43) (family Pteropodidae)—in peridomestic habitats Nairobi, Kenya, used metagenome sequencing detect microorganisms. A...
Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) have seen a surge in extreme climatic events with devastating environmental livelihood effects. Understanding the dynamics of these such as drought at landscape level is essential for anticipatory action among resource-dependent communities ASALs. This study utilised Systems Google Earth Engine (GEE) to analyse 24 years Normalised Difference Drought Index (NDDI) trends Narok West Kenya across six timeframes (2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020 2024). Our analysis...
Mountain bongo (Tragelaphus eurycerus isaaci) are critically endangered antelopes found only in Kenya’s montane forests. The need to re-establish a viable, healthy and self-sustaining population is urgent. With less than 100 individuals left the wild rapidly declining, impact of endoparasites remains largely unstudied. We opportunistically collected analyzed fecal samples from reintroduced- over two-year period using random focal sampling method. Coccidia Strongylids as predominant...