April D. Davis, DVM, Ph.D.
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April D. Davis, DVM, Ph.D.

Director, Rabies Laboratory
DVM, PhD Colorado State University (2007)
Postdoctoral training: New York State Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, Arbovirus and Rabies Laboratories

Research Interests

The main research focus of the rabies laboratory is developing and improving rabies diagnostic tools. Some current projects include validating a real-time RT- PCR assay for use as a confirmatory test to the dFAT, a real time RT-PCR assay capable of typing different rabies virus variants circulating the the United States, and whole genome sequencing. Additional research programs in our laboratory focus on studying rabies in bats within the laboratory and in field environments.

Our interests include:

  1. Determining if the silver hair bat rabies virus is more pathogenic than other bat rabies viruses
  2. Investigating the frequency with which big and/or little brown bats become infected with the silver hair bat rabies virus and how it relates to the potential for human exposure
  3. Examining the rabies virus genome of bats infected with a heterologous (non-host) rabies virus
  4. Understanding the impact of white nose syndrome (WNS) in rabies virus maintenance and its impact on indigenous bat populations

 

Select Publications
Jones NJ, Jarvis JA, Appler KA, Davis AD. Detection of Rabies IgG and IgM Antibodies Using the Rabies Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test. J Vis Exp. 2024; Jan 19 (203): DOI: 10.3791/65459
Pubmed Web Address
Brunt S, Davis A, Hopken MW, Mankowski CCP, Wallace RM, Rupprecht CE, Chipman RB, Bergman DL. Reemergence of a Big Brown Bat Lyssavirus rabies Variant in Striped Skunks in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA, 2021-2023. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2024; Aug;24 (8): 552-562. DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2023.0126
Pubmed Web Address
Moessner H, Brunt S, Diaz A, Davis A. Coinfection of Canine Distemper Virus and Rabies Virus in Wildlife Samples Submitted for Routine Rabies Testing. J Wildl Dis. 2023; Apr 1;59 (2): 310-314. DOI: 10.7589/JWD-D-21-00158
Pubmed Web Address
Morgan MD, Pouliott CE, Rudd RJ, Davis AD. Antigen detection, rabies virus isolation, and q-PCR in the quantification of viral load in a natural infection of the North American beaver, Castor Canadensis. J. Wildl Dis. 2015; (1): 287-289.
Pubmed Web Address
Zhang T, Victor TR, Rajkumar SS, Li X, Okoniewski JC, Hicks AC, Davis AD, Broussard K, LaDeau SL, Chaturvedi S, Chaturvedi V. Mycobiome of the bat white nose syndrome affected caves and mines reveals diversity of fungi and local adaptation by the fungal pathogen Pseudogymnoascus (Geomyces) destructans. PLoS ONE. 2014; 9 (12): e116149.
Pubmed Web Address
Davis AD, Jarvis JA, Pouliott CE, Shannon MDM, Rudd RJ. Susceptibility and Pathogenesis of Little Brown Bats (Myotis lucifugus) to Heterologous and Homologous Rabies Viruses. Journal of Virology. 2013; 87 (16): 9008-9015.
Pubmed Web Address
Davis A, Jarvis J, Pouliott C, Rudd R. Rabies virus infection in Eptesicus fuscus bats born in captivity (Naïve Bats). PLos ONE. 2013; 8 (5): e64808.
Pubmed Web Address Read More
Davis AD, Gordy PA, Rudd, RJ, Bowen RA. Effects of aerosolized rabies virus exposure on bats and mice. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2007; 195 (8): 1144-1150.
Pubmed Web Address