Since the inception of the coronavirus, sources have argued about the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Did it derive from bats through another animal, bats to humans, cold-chain food products, or a man-made laboratory leak? We don’t know.

However, to predict (and, hopefully, prevent) the next pandemic, scientists are currently studying the transmission of pathogens in bats.

According to BBC News, a team of scientists from the University of Ghana’s Veterinary School was spotted at the Accra Zoo in Achimota Forest, Accra, Ghana, studying bat droppings (guano). They are part of an international project called BatOneHealth (BOH), which investigates how pathogens are transmitted from one species to another and what can be done to prevent an outbreak; Ghana is joined by Bangladesh and Australia in this research.

Led by scientist Dr. Richard Suu-ire, the team is testing for paramyxovirus and coronavirus in bats. Using pawpaw fruit to feed the bats, they also tested for superbugs in the bats’ guano.

Dr. Suu-ire describes bats as “reservoirs” because they can carry viruses without getting sick.

The University of Ghana is said to be at the forefront of this research. Their ultimate goal is to find out whether there is any bacteria in the bat feces that is resistant to antibiotics.

Dr. Suu-ire stated the following:

“If there’s any resistance we will then find out to which antibiotics they are developing resistance. In future we will try to isolate the resistant genes from these bacteria.”

Ecologist Dr. Kofi Amponsah-Mensah, who’s also a part of the research team at the University of Ghana, is worried about humans encroaching into bat habitats. The deforestation rates in Ghana are high, with mining destroying vegetation, which are bats’ natural habitats.

“I think we are just using bats as scapegoats for areas where we have failed as people, because historically we didn’t have a lot of these diseases emerging.”

“We are the ones encroaching into the bats’ [habitat], you know, and messing around with the ecosystem. This obviously leads to more contact and then the likelihood of some of these diseases coming up.”

Bushmeat—raw or minimally processed meat that comes from wild animals—has also been brought into the virus transmission discussion. All kinds of animals, particularly bats, are on sale at bushmeat markets, creating a risk that scientists want to get ahead of.

Some experts have pushed for a ban on bushmeat markets following the coronavirus pandemic. But Dr. Amponsah-Mensah argued that this trade has been going on for thousands of years, and it’s ingrained in the culture and history of many.

“The trade is dominated mostly by women and for a lot of them, this is the only trade they know because it’s been handed down from their grandparents to their mothers, and now they are in the trade as well.”

“So any attempt to ban bushmeat without really thinking about the complexity of the trade will really have serious implications.”

Researchers worry that climate change will also factor in potential virus outbreaks. Humans and animals will be forced to live closer together as both vie for resources: food, water, and shade from the sun.

It looks like scientists who are a part of the BatOneHealth (BOH) project and others will have their work cut for them. I’ll keep you all posted on any new information I find.

(Sources)

Photo Credit: CNN & BBC News

Grimley, N., & Horrox, C. (2023, July 8). Ghana’s batmen hunting for pandemic clues. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66122925 

Kunzmann, K. (2021, March 29). WHO, China Report Suggests COVID-19 Passed From Bats to Humans Through Another Animal. Contagion Live. https://www.contagionlive.com/view/who-china-report-covid-19-passed-bats-humans-animal 

Bushmeat. CDC. (2022, October 31). https://www.cdc.gov/importation/bushmeat.html#:~:text=The%20term%20“bushmeat”%20refers%20to,pose%20a%20communicable%20disease%20risk.