Filipino Scientists Study Bats In Bid To Stop Future Pandemics
FILIPINO SCIENTISTS STUDY BATS – A team of Filipino scientists across the Philippines are on a mission to study the country’s 79 bat species.
During the early days of the pandemic, it was thought that the COVID-19 virus was transferred from bats to humans. However, further research is still required to prove the connection.
Meanwhile, the team in the Philippines aimed to capture and study 79 bat species that could potentially transfer their virus that could be fatal to both humans and livestock. Furthermore, according to bat ecologist Philip Alviola, the team would be studying this for the next three years.
During an interview with ABS-CBN, Alviola said:
“As we all know, bats harbor a lot of potentially infectious diseases or viruses. So, what we’re trying to do is to determine what are the viruses that are found in these bats and try to develop a simulation model on where the next bat-derived infections will occur in the Philippines“
Moreover, she said that they would use the samples taken from bats and compare the viruses that triggered recent global outbreaks such as COVID-19, SARS, and MERS. Currently, the team has collected 15 to 20 samples and are trying to catch all or at least 75% of the bat species in the Philippines.
Alviola emphasized that proper protective equipment is necessary during investigations such as this. “We’ve been working with bats for more than 20 years. In essence, we know what to do and all the safety precaution“, she stated.
Previous reports suggested that the COVID-19 pandemic started with wildlife poaching. One angle scientists are looking at was the possibility of a poacher being infected with the strain then transmitting it to other humans.
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