When people think about animals that transmit diseases, they commonly think of dogs, mosquitoes, etc. However, the most infamous animal is probably bats. Bats transmit a wide variety of diseases: rabies, histoplasmosis, and leptospirosis. Bats may be the origin of multiple pandemics such as Ebola, Nipah, and the Coronavirus. This sparks a vital question: what makes bats so optimal for carrying diseases?

Bats are flying mammals which optimizes them for the spreading of zoonotic viruses, another word for viruses that can be spread to other organisms. Also, they prefer to live near one another in dark areas. This allows them to spread viruses amongst each other through respiratory systems. This allows everyone to carry a greater variety of viruses. As humans have started to inhabit more land, they have started to live closer to bats, causing the transmission of diseases to become easier.

https://cmns.umd.edu/news-events/features/953

Despite being a carrier of many viruses, why are bats not affected? Many scientists believe it is due to their ability to fly. Flying requires a large amount of energy. Consequently, bats create a lot of waste within their bodies. To prevent this waste from damaging the DNA of bats, they developed a sophisticated defense system. This defense system may play a vital role in preventing bats from being susceptible to different diseases.

As viruses carried by bats continue to threaten the lives of humans, experts have proposed methods to prevent the transmittance of viruses from bats. The simplest method is to continuously wash one’s hands. Additionally, avoiding areas that are inhabited by bats and known to eat bats is another simple way to prevent the transmittance of viruses. Furthermore, people have invented Ultrasonic Bat Repellers to prevent bats from inhabiting areas like their roofs.

참고자료: https://healthcareinamerica.us/what-makes-bats-the-perfect-hosts-for-so-many-viruses-3274c019bb4d
https://permatreat.com/4-diseases-spread-by-bats/#:~:text=4%20Diseases%20Spread%20by%20Bats%201,Rabies.%202%20Histoplasmosis.%203%20Leptospirosis.%204%20SARS.

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