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Effect of Extreme Heat on Indian flying foxes (Pteropus medius) and their role in AMR Spillover in Pakistan

The project “Effect of Extreme Heat on Indian Flying Foxes and their potential role in Antimicrobial Spillover” is completed on 13th August 2021. During this summer project which lasted for 78 days, from 24th May 2021 to 13 August 2021, we worked hard to find how extreme heat is impacting Indian flying foxes in Pakistan and more generally in its entire geographical niche. Here are our objectives:

We aimed to find temperature threshold for the first time, that results in heat stress related deaths of flying foxes in Indian Subcontinent.

Documenting various Heat Stress Behaviors in Indian Flying foxes.

Role of landscape variables in Heat Stress for flying foxes.

Cortisol variation in relation with heat stress

Relationship of Bacterial shedding in feces with Heat Stress

AMR Spillover in relation with heat stress

Cross Sectional Survey to Identify Historic Die offs, Dietary Ecology and Bat Human Conflict.

This project study rooting sites are located in eight different areas, across two provinces and capital territory of Pakistan. Details about the study areas are as following:

G-11 Sector Islamabad, Capital Territory of Pakistan

Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

Changa Manga, Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan

Head Dhumakee, Mailse, Vehari, Punjab, Pakistan

Sailanwali, Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan

Khanpur Dam, Haripur, KPK, Pakistan

Hattar Road, Haripur, KPK, Pakistan

Gari Habibullah, Manshera, KPK, Pakistan

This Project research fieldwork is made possible with our team of graduate and undergraduate students from various higher education institutions of Pakistan. Here is the detail about these amazing fieldwork and lab work assistants along with their institutional affiliation.

Adeel Kazam (Mphil) University of Punjab, Lahore)

Mamoona Arshad (DVM) College of Veterinary & Animal Sciences – CVAS Jhang)

Mudassar Hussain (Mphil) University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore)

Wajahat Ali (Mphil) (University of Haripur)

Shamran Ullah (BS) (University of Haripur)

Abdul Ali (DVM), University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore)

Muhammad Nauman Faisal (Mphil) University of Punjab, Lahore)

Ahmed Bilal (Mphil) (University of Punjab, Lahore)

Yashua Sohial (Mphil) University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore

Muhammad Armaghan Shahzad (DVM, MS) COMSATS University, Islamabad

Ayesha Javid (Mphil) University of Agriculture, Faisalabad

Fieldwork is designed to provide the student with an opportunity for a practical, “real world” experience for the purpose of developing direct leadership, programming, and administrative skills sufficient for entry into a professional career. These students were trained in basic research methodologies needed for this project including

Data Collection, Data Entry, Data Management

Fecal Sample Collection, Fecal Sample Shipment

Video Scan Sampling

Landscape Data Recording

Cross-Sectional Survey through Structured Questionnaire

Results of the project will be shared in publications.

Please feel free to reach out to the Principal Investigator of this Project at [email protected] for any additional information about the project.