Journal article

Climate Change Could Increase the Geographic Extent of Hendra Virus Spillover Risk

G Martin, C Yanez-Arenas, C Chen, RK Plowright, RJ Webb, LF Skerratt

Ecohealth | SPRINGER | Published : 2018

Open access

Abstract

Disease risk mapping is important for predicting and mitigating impacts of bat-borne viruses, including Hendra virus (Paramyxoviridae:Henipavirus), that can spillover to domestic animals and thence to humans. We produced two models to estimate areas at potential risk of HeV spillover explained by the climatic suitability for its flying fox reservoir hosts, Pteropus alecto and P. conspicillatus. We included additional climatic variables that might affect spillover risk through other biological processes (such as bat or horse behaviour, plant phenology and bat foraging habitat). Models were fit with a Poisson point process model and a log-Gaussian Cox process. In response to climate change, ri..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by National Science Foundation


Funding Acknowledgements

The College of Public Health, Medical and Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University was contracted by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation to undertake this research project (Grant No. PRJ-008213). This research was funded by the Commonwealth of Australia, the State of New South Wales and the State of Queensland under the National Hendra Virus Research Program. HeV incident locations are by courtesy of the State of Queensland, through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Biosecurity Queensland, thank to Dr. Craig Smith.