Dear MEL Topic Readers,
Deforestation pushes animals in Uganda forest to eat virus-laden bat
poo
Guano is the accumulated excrement of seabirds or bats. It is rich in
nitrogen and other nutrients that are essential for plant growth. Bat guano is
found in caves around the world. Many cave ecosystems depend on nutrients from
bat guano. Animals in a Uganda forest are eating bat guano as their natural
food source is demolished for farming by humans. According to a new study, bat
guano is loaded with viruses, including one that is linked to Covid-19. Although
it is still unknown if the virus found in the guano can be transmitted to
humans, this finding shows how new infections could be transmitted beyond
species, wildlife-to-wildlife, and possibly wildlife-to-humans.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease
caused by a SARS-associated coronavirus. It was first identified at the end of
February 2003 during an outbreak that emerged in China and spread to other
countries. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by
the SARS-CoV-2 virus. It spread around the world and became a pandemic in 2020.
The suspected cause of these infectious diseases is bats.
Read the article and learn about how bat excrement could affect the health
of wild animals and humans.
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