Anticoagulants for the Control of the Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus)

Background: In Latin America, there is a high incidence of vampire bat-transmitted rabies in cattle causing increased mortality of livestock, which heavily impacts the agricultural sector. Anticoagulants-based control methods for the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) have been employed continuously since the 1970s with various methods of application, presentations, doses and active ingredients. Studies from half a century ago still serve as a reference for the current use of anticoagulants for bat-borne rabies control in Latin America. The objective of this study was to structurally and bibliometrically review literature on the use of anticoagulants for the control of D. rotundus as a means of rabies control.

Materials & methods: Scientific literature on the use of anticoagulant products for D. rotundus control was obtained, reviewed and analysed. Articles were retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science databases. Research articles from 1971 to 2021 in Spanish, English and Portuguese were included in the review. Results were visualised using RStudio, Bibliometrix and VOSviewer.

Results: The body of literature indicates effectiveness of up to 100% in the use of anticoagulants to induce bat mortality. The effectiveness of anticoagulants for rabies control, however, remains uncertain. No evidence was found to support or refute the use of anticoagulants for rabies control.

Discussion: Instead, literature suggests that disturbing bat colonies increases rabies prevalence. This finding suggests that anticoagulants may have the opposite intended effect on rabies control and highlights the importance of further research on the practical methods for bat-borne rabies prevention.

Conclusion: Field experimental studies that include control groups over areas and periods that account for D. rotundus ecology are needed to determine the effectiveness of anticoagulants for rabies control in livestock. In conclusion, the use of anticoagulants for rabies control is questionable.