title: Bat trait, genetic and pathogen data from large-scale investigations of African fruit bats, Eidolon helvum.
abstract: Bats, including African straw-coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum), have been highlighted as reservoirs of many recently emerged zoonotic viruses. This common, widespread and ecologically important species was the focus of longitudinal and continent-wide studies of the epidemiological and ecology of Lagos bat virus, henipaviruses and Achimota viruses. Here we present a spatial, morphological, demographic, genetic and serological dataset encompassing 2827 bats from nine countries over an 8-year period. Genetic data comprises cytochrome b mitochondrial sequences (n=608) and microsatellite genotypes from 18 loci (n=544). Tooth-cementum analyses (n=316) allowed derivation of rare age-specific serologic data for a lyssavirus, a henipavirus and two rubulaviruses. This dataset contributes a substantial volume of data on the ecology of E. helvum and its viruses and will be valuable for a wide range of studies, including viral transmission dynamic modelling in age-structured populations, investigation of seasonal reproductive asynchrony in wide-ranging species, ecological niche modelling, inference of island colonisation history, exploration of relationships between island and body size, and various spatial analyses of demographic, morphometric or serological data.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK.|Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.|Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland 4111 Australia.
authors.forename: Alison J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Peel
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK.|Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.|Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton CB10 1SA, UK.|Institute for Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK.
authors.forename: Kate S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK.|Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.|Molecular Epidemiology and Public Health Laboratory, Hopkirk Research Institute, Massey University, Private Bag, 11 222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.
authors.forename: David T S
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Hayman
authors.affiliation: Wildlife Division, Ghana Forestry Commission, Accra, Ghana.|University of Ghana, Faculty of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, Box LG 571, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suu-Ire
authors.affiliation: Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Breed
authors.affiliation: Faculté des Sciences, Université de Kisangani, 4, Avenue Kithima, commune Makiso, BP 2012, Kisangani, République Démocratique du Congo.
authors.forename: Guy-Crispin
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Gembu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Graham Kerr Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, Scotland.
authors.forename: Tiziana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lembo
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.|Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid 28006, Spain.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fernández-Loras
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK.
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Sargan
authors.affiliation: Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Addlestone, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK.
authors.forename: Anthony R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Fooks
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK.
authors.forename: James L N
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000276:immunology*; D045403:Henipavirus; D018114:Lyssavirus; D009549:Nigeria; D019213:Rubulavirus