Data from: Population genetic structure of serotine bats (Eptesicus serotinus) across Europe and implications for the potential spread of bat rabies (European bat lyssavirus EBLV-1)

Understanding of the movements of species at multiple scales is essential to appreciate patterns of population connectivity and in some cases, the potential for pathogen transmission. The serotine bat (Eptesicus serotinus) is a common and widely distributed species in Europe where it frequently harbours European bat lyssavirus type 1 (EBLV-1), a virus causing rabies and transmissible to humans. In the United Kingdom, it is rare, with a distribution restricted to south of the country and so far the virus has never been found there. We investigated the genetic structure and gene flow of E. serotinus across the England and continental Europe. Greater genetic structuring was found in England compared with continental Europe. Nuclear data suggest a single population on the continent, although further work with more intensive sampling is required to confirm this, while mitochondrial sequences indicate an east–west substructure. In contrast, three distinct populations were found in England using microsatellite markers, and mitochondrial diversity was very low. Evidence of nuclear admixture indicated strong male-mediated gene flow among populations. Differences in connectivity could contribute to the high viral prevalence on the continent in contrast with the United Kingdom. Although the English Channel was previously thought to restrict gene flow, our data indicate relatively frequent movement from the continent to England highlighting the potential for movement of EBLV-1 into the United Kingdom.

明晰多尺度下的物种种群动态，是解析种群连通性格局，乃至部分情境下病原体传播潜力的必要前提。普通棕蝠（Eptesicus serotinus）是欧洲分布广泛的常见物种，其常携带欧洲蝙蝠狂犬病病毒1型（EBLV-1）——一种可引发狂犬病并可传染给人类的病毒。在英国境内，该物种较为稀少，分布仅局限于英格兰南部，且截至目前尚未检出该病毒。本研究针对英格兰与欧洲大陆的普通棕蝠开展了遗传结构与基因流分析。相较于欧洲大陆种群，英格兰境内的普通棕蝠呈现出更强的遗传结构分化。核基因数据表明欧洲大陆存在单一连通种群，但仍需通过更密集的采样验证该结论；而线粒体序列分析则揭示其存在东西向的亚结构分化。与之形成鲜明对比的是，英格兰境内通过微卫星标记鉴定出3个独立遗传种群，且线粒体多样性极低。核基因混合证据表明，种群间存在以雄性为主导的显著基因流。种群连通性的差异，或可解释欧洲大陆与英国在病毒流行率上的显著差异。尽管此前学界普遍认为英吉利海峡会阻断基因交流，但本研究数据显示，从欧洲大陆向英格兰的种群迁移事件相对频繁，这凸显了EBLV-1传入英国的潜在风险。