Scientists are searching for the secrets of epidemics in the bodies of bats
Bats play a central role in the Earth’s ecosystems, but they are also known to carry a number of viruses. Humans are increasingly encroaching on their natural habitats, which increases the risk of new epidemics. This prompted scientists to begin and delve into the study of bats. Hoping to help them find solutions that prevent the emergence of a new pandemic such as “Covid-19”.
According to the BBC, a team of scientists from the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Ghana, analyzing bat dung, is working on this prediction of the next epidemic outbreak.
Their chief scientist, Dr. Richard So-Eyer, has been studying bats for several years. He says that protective jackets and masks are necessary “to protect you from any infection that may be transmitted to you inside the cage, and also to protect the bats from any infection that we may transmit to them, and therefore it is a protection for both sides.”
The report states that the team members enter the bat enclosure and cover its floor with a waterproof tarpaulin.
Much of the mystery still surrounds these animals, which are the only mammals capable of flying, and their extraordinary immune system. Bats can be carriers of a number of viruses, but they do not get sick.
According to the authority, Ghana joined other countries such as Bangladesh and Australia, as part of a global project called (Bat OneHealth), which aims to discover ways of transmitting pathogens or viruses from one type of organism to another, and to come up with possible solutions aimed at stopping viruses from crossing a number of barriers, To become more effective and widespread among members of another type of organism.
Dr. Su-Ier confirmed that when the team of scientists conducted tests on wild bats, they did not detect the “Covid-19” virus in them.
The team of scientists is currently conducting tests on its droppings, to see if it is a carrier of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The scientists fed the bats the fruit of the pawpaw, and once the animals had defecated on the tarpaulin, scientists would collect samples of their bright orange droppings, before storing them in test tubes.
“If there is resistance, we will find out what kind of antibiotic the bats develop that resistance to,” says Dr Su-Ier. We will try to isolate the resistance genes from these bacteria in the future.”
There is a protein that explains why bats have a long life compared to other small mammals (Reuters)
The report quotes Dr. Su-Ier as saying that humans are encroaching on bat habitats and tampering with the ecosystem. This clearly leads to more contact and friction with it, and then the possibility of some of these diseases emerging. Scientists are using bats as scapegoats for areas where humans have failed.
Bushmeat markets around the world are the epicenter of direct contact between humans and wild animals such as bats. This leads to the emergence of a danger that scientists are trying to anticipate.
In the wake of the outbreak of the “Covid-19” epidemic, some experts called for banning bushmeat markets. Due to the possibility of helping them spread viruses.
Experts are very concerned about the possibility of an increase in the transmission of viruses from animals to humans, due to climate change, as humans and animals will then be forced to move closer to each other. This is due to competition over natural resources such as water, and even shade from the sun’s rays.
Billions of dollars of scientific research is currently being conducted focusing on bats, the reason for this is their extraordinary immune systems, in addition to their ability to fly long distances. A better understanding of these animals, as scientists in Ghana are now trying, will be critical to the health of the planet.
