Vampire bats rabies threat in Amazon to be studied by scientists

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November 11, 2025
3 min read

Vampire bats rabies threat in Amazon to be studied by scientists

Scientists from Scotland have travelled to the Amazon to help tackle an increasing risk from vampire bats carrying the rabies virus. The researchers say that more people and livestock are being bitten due to the impacts of climate change, especially rising temperatures, as well as a change in land use. The team is led by the University of Glasgow and is working on a vaccine as well as monitoring the expansion of the vampire bat roosts in Peru, Colombia, and Brazil.

Tens of thousands of people are killed by rabies every year, with around 40% of them being under 15 years of age, according to the World Health Organisation. It is considered one of the planet’s most lethal infectious diseases and if left untreated, leads almost always to death in those who are not vaccinated.

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Nearly every case in humans is caused by dogs. But vampire bats are also known to be major carriers in Amazon countries. One reason for the spread is thought to be climate change. Evidence has shown that the bats in parts of Mexico are travelling into new areas further north, with the team having recorded an increasing spread, increasing at a rate of between 10-20 km (6-12 miles) annually.

Their aim is to improve understanding of the reasons for the spread, to better predict which communities are most at risk. Since 2007, researchers began taking blood and faeces samples from the bats at dozens of locations, checking for signs of the disease. They have also been monitoring caves in Peru, installing nets on cave entrances to capture them.

The samples are then flown to Glasgow to be tested and the results help the researchers track the spread, allowing them to warn communities to take action via vaccines for themselves and their livestock.

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