Flying foxes, the genus Pteropus, are considered viral reservoirs. Their colonial nature and long flight capability enhance their ability to spread viruses quickly. To understand how the viral transmission occurs between flying foxes and other animals, we investigated daytime behavior of the large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) in the Leuweung Sancang conservation area, Indonesia, by using instantaneous scan sampling and all-occurrence focal sampling. The data were obtained from 0700 to 1700 hr, during May 11–25, 2016. Almost half of the flying foxes (46.9 ± 10.6% of all recorded bats) were awake and showed various levels of activity during daytime. The potential behaviors driving disease transmission, such as self-grooming, mating/courtship and aggression, peaked in the early morning. Males were more active and spent more time on sexual activities than females. There was no significant difference in time spent for negative social behaviors between sexes. Positive social behaviors, especially maternal cares, were performed only by females. Sexual activities and negative/positive social behaviors enable fluid exchange between bats and thus facilitate intraspecies transmission. Conflicts for living space between the flying foxes and the ebony leaf monkey (Trachypithecus auratus) were observed, and this caused daily roosting shifts of flying foxes. The ecological interactions between bats and other wildlife increase the risk of interspecies infection. This study provides the details of the flying fox’s behavior and its interaction with other wildlife in South-East Asia that may help explain how pathogen spillover occurs in the wild.

Flying foxes have been considered to be involved in the transmission of serious infectious diseases to humans. Using questionnaires, we aimed to determine the direct and/or indirect contacts of flying foxes in an Indonesian nature conservation area with domestic animals and humans living in the surrounding area. We surveyed 150 residents of 10 villages in West Java. Villages were classified into 3 groups: inside and/or within 1 km from the outer border of the conservation area and 1–5 km or 5–10 km away from the reserve’s outer border. Data were collected by direct interview using a structured questionnaire consisting of the respondent characteristics (age, sex and occupation); histories of contacts between flying foxes and humans, dogs and other domestic animals; and knowledge about infectious diseases, mainly rabies, in flying foxes. We found that flying foxes from the nature conservation area often enter residential areas at night to look for food, especially during the fruit season. In these residential areas, flying foxes had direct contacts with humans and a few contacts with domestic animals, especially dogs. People who encounter flying foxes seldom used personal protective equipment, such as leather gloves, goggles and caps. The residents living around the conservation area mostly had poor knowledge about flying foxes and disease transmission. This situation shows that the population in this region is at a quite high risk for contracting infectious diseases from flying foxes.

Flying foxes have been considered to be involved in the transmission of serious infectious diseases to humans.This study aimed to know the direct and/or indirect contacts of flying foxes that live in the Indonesian natural conservation area, with domestic animals and humans living in the surrounding area, by the questionnaire. A survey of 150 respondents in 10 villages have been made.The area was grouped into; 1. inside the conservation area and within 1 km from the outer border of the conservation area, 2. 1-5 km and 3. 5-10 km away from the border.The respondents are consisted of community leaders, religious leaders, youth leaders, children health centres officers, and farmers/fisherman group leaders, in each village. Data were collected by direct interview using a structured questionnaire consisted of the characteristics (the age, sex, and/or job) of respondents, the histories of contacts between flying foxes and humans, dogs, and domestic animals,and the knowledge about infectious diseases, mainly rabies, in flying foxes. This study found that the flying foxes from conservation area often enter theresidential areas at night to look for foods, especially during the fruit season. In the residential area, flying foxes directly contact with humans and a few contacts with domestic animals, only dogs. The persons, who touched flying foxes, seldom use personal protective equipment such as leather gloves, goggles and hats. The Residents living around conservation area mostly have poor knowledge about flying foxes and disease transmission.This situation shows that the population in this region is quite high risk for contracting infectious diseases from flying foxes.