Ecological vaccination: A strategy to prevent zoonotic spillover from bats
- Hongyue Li
- Fei Yuan
- Yanfeng Yao
- Jinglin Wang
- Chunzheng Li
- Ye Liu
- Jinmei Yang
- Zhongyang Zhang
- Jiandong Liu
- Jiankai Liu
- Zhenxing Yang
- Wanzhu Jin
- Dan Wen
- Chao Shan
- Aihua Zheng
2026-03-11
Bats serve as critical reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens but also play essential ecological roles. To mitigate spillover risks without harming bat populations, we developed a multiroute vaccination strategy using recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus (rVSV)–based vaccines. Vaccine-carrying mosquitoes delivered rVSV-based rabies and Nipah vaccines, conferring protection in rodent and bat models. Under simulated natural conditions, cohabitation with vaccine-carrying mosquitoes elicited strong immune responses in bats, supporting feasibility beyond laboratory settings. As a complementary approach, saline traps exploiting bats’ mineral-seeking behavior achieved comparable immune protection through oral vaccination. Together, these results demonstrate a flexible, ecology-informed vaccination platform for immunizing wild bats, offering a scalable strategy to reduce zoonotic spillover risk while supporting bat conservation.