Studying vampire bats to predict the next pandemic – Virginia Tech Daily

To collect the first field data in June, Escobar assembled and trained a team of Virginia Tech students, including one graduate student and three undergraduates. The team, joined by students from four Colombian universities, visited four sites with differing elevations, temperatures, and ecological conditions to trap and sample more than 250 vampire bats.

Working at night, when bats are most active, they caught bats in large rectangular mist nets in forests and farmlands. They also learned how to descend into caves wearing biohazard suits, gloves, and masks to capture bats during the day. The bats were placed in bags and taken back to a mobile lab, where Escobar and the students identified the species, measured them, drew blood samples, tagged them, and fed them a sugar water solution before releasing them.

The opportunity to acquire hands-on experience in research and fieldwork is a priority for the college. Students studying in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation are expected to complete an experiential learning experience before graduation; one option for fulfilling this requirement is undergraduate research.

The college and department also value inclusion and opportunity, and Escobar specifically encouraged applications from students from underrepresented and underserved backgrounds in disease ecology.

Dyess Harp, from Berryville, Virginia, who graduated in June with a degree in fish and wildlife conservation, said the experience affirmed her interest in pursuing a masters degree in the field.

The opportunity to get hands-on experience in biodiversity, disease ecology, and bats, and be part of such a multicultural, supportive team was a dream come true, said Harp. For me, this was a really encouraging thing because queer people, especially transgender people, have historically not been included in field research trips of this scope.

Quan Dong, a senior from Annandale, Virginia, majoring in wildlife conservation and biological sciences, called it the trip of a lifetime.

This was by far my best college experience to date, he said. Field work is a unique experience that cannot really be replicated any other way. I was able to learn skills related to the physical aspects of field work, such as the techniques for setting up a mist net and pacing yourself for a day of hiking through the mountains. I was also able to learn how to be an effective researcher, providing critical feedback and collaborating with others. I expect these skills to stay with me throughout my life and help to stimulate a fruitful career in wildlife conservation.

Dong also formulated his own separate research project on bat acoustics and echolocation activity. He recorded bat vocalizations and is now investigating the unique and common languages of vampire bats across various regions.

Escobar and a new group of students will return next year to collect more samples and complete the study. In the meantime, the team is analyzing a centurys worth of historical data from Latin America, looking for patterns in climate change and rabies spillover that may be helpful in predicting future transmission events.

Students who study wildlife conservation in the College of Natural Resources and Environment have a unique opportunity not only to get mud on their boots, but also to conduct work with the CDC and other health agencies that study wildlife diseases, Escobar said. Through projects like this, we are filling a critical niche: the empirical study of climate change effects on disease emergence.

Student success is the central focus of our department, and gaining research experience working in new environments and with pressing environmental issues is a great way for students to expand their resume and ensure their success as they move beyond Virginia Tech, said Joel Snodgrass, department head and professor in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation. Dr. Escobars work represents just such an opportunity and clearly demonstrates the benefits to our students of a diverse faculty and student body.

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Studying vampire bats to predict the next pandemic - Virginia Tech Daily

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