By catching bats, these ‘virus hunters’ hope to prevent the next pandemic | The widest image

By catching bats, these ‘virus hunters’ hope to prevent the next pandemic | The widest image

by

Researchers wearing headlamps and protective clothing rush to untangle the claws and wings of bats trapped in a large net after nightfall in the Philippine province of Laguna.

The small animals are carefully placed in tissue bags to be taken, measured and rubbed, with the recorded details and saliva and fecal matter collected for analysis before being returned to nature.

. Laguna, Philippines. Reuters / Eloisa Lopez

“As we continue to have close contact with wildlife, we are deliberately exposing ourselves to disease and danger. If we cannot prevent this, we can also develop control measures to reduce the impacts of possible future outbreaks, at least. that’s why this research is important. Having the baseline data on the nature and occurrence of the potentially zoonotic virus in bats, we can somehow predict possible outbreaks and establish adequate, solid and scientifically based health protocols, “said bat ecologist Kirk Taray.

In addition to laboratory work, the research requires long field trips, involving wandering for hours in the dense rainforest and precarious night hikes in mountains covered with rocks, tree roots, mud and moss.

The group also targets bat shelters in buildings, setting up fog nets before nightfall to catch bats and extract samples by torchlight.

. Laguna, Philippines. Reuters / Eloisa Lopez

Alviola holds a bat caught on Mount Makiling.

Each bat is held firmly by the head while researchers insert small cotton swabs into their mouths and record their wingspan with plastic rulers, to try to see which of the more than 1,300 species and 20 families of bats are most susceptible to infections and why.

Researchers wear protective clothing, masks and gloves when in contact with bats, as a precaution against virus infection.

. Laguna, Philippines. Reuters / Eloisa Lopez

“I can teach and continue to be a student. It’s fun. Being in the field even for 24 hours is better than being in the office from eight to five,” said Cosico.

“It’s really scary these days,” said Edison Cosico, who is helping Alviola. “You never know if the bat is already a carrier.

“What we are looking for is to find out if there are more bat viruses that can be transmitted to humans. We will never know if the next one is like COVID.”

Most of those caught are horseshoe bats known to harbor coronaviruses, including the closest known relative to the new coronavirus.

. Laguna, Philippines. Reuters / Eloisa Lopez

“With the pandemic underway, more care is taken into account when studying bats. Various measures and protocols are in place to protect researchers and bats. In addition, community quarantine and travel restrictions have added difficulty, especially in access to potential areas of study. “said Taray.

Human exposure and closer interaction with wildlife meant that the risk of disease transmission was now greater than ever, said bat ecologist Kirk Taray.

“Having basic data on the nature and occurrence of the potentially zoonotic virus in bats, we can somehow predict possible outbreaks.”

PHOTO EDITION MARIKA KOCHIASHVILI; WRITING MARTIN PETTY, EDITING KARISHMA SINGH; LAYOUT JULIA DALRYMPLE

.Source