(NewsNation) — Climate change is driving the migration of vampire bats northward and raising the risk of rabies spillover from animals to humans, according to a new study.

The findings, published Thursday in the journal Echography, illustrate a strong relationship between a warming climate over the last 100 years and the gradual shift of vampire bat habitats into the northern hemisphere.

“This study reveals that (the bat species) is expanding its distribution to higher latitudes, which shows the potential of the species to become invasive in novel areas and new countries,” the authors wrote. “Ongoing climate change is linked to distributional shifts of (the bats) in tandem with continental-level changes in the risk of RABV spillover from wildlife to domestic animals.”

Common vampire bats are native to tropical and subtropical areas ranging from southern Mexico to northern parts of Argentina and northern Chile, according to Bat Conservation International. They are one of only three bat species to feed on blood, typically from that of wild mammals to common livestock like cows, horses and pigs.

To examine their habitat spread, researchers created a distribution model by taking the 20 northern most appearances of bats and projecting how long it would take for them to reach the United States. The model found vampire bats could appear in the country within the next 27 years.

“The climatic variable that most influenced the range shift in (the bats) distribution was historical temperature seasonality … a variable closely linked with changes in climate,” the authors write.

The study also found a positive link between the bats habitat spread and rabies outbreaks.

“By the 2010s, the number of rabies outbreaks in cattle increased in most Latin American countries from 1,000% to 12,500% compared to a 1970s baseline. The largest increases in the number of rabies outbreaks across time occurred in Peru, Mexico, Ecuador and Brazil,” the study notes.

The spread of rabies could be problematic for U.S. livestock populations, human public health and the economy. Rabies can be fatal if not treated promptly.

The disease in humans is rare in the United States, with only 1 to 3 cases reported annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Indeed, arrival of (the bats) to the southern USA (e.g. Texas and Arizona) would result in an estimated annual economic cost of $7–9 million just in terms of the death of livestock from rabies in south Texas,” the authors wrote.