Laila Ali
In a new study published in a special issue of the Corona Virus pandemic in the "ZooKeys" magazine, researchers announced the discovery of at least four new types of African-leafed bats from relatives of the "horseshoe" bats that were believed to be the host of the virus that caused the "Covid 19" epidemic.
None of these new bats carry a disease that is a problem at the present time, but researchers stress the importance of studying it in preparation for any future outbreaks of disease.
The new discovery The new
discovery takes on special significance in the shadow of the Corona virus pandemic, although although the new types of paper-nose bats did not play a role in this pandemic, their relatives of "horseshoe" bats transmitted the virus to intermediate mammals, which in turn spread it among humans. It is also not the first time that people have been infected with a disease caused by bats.
The new species of bats belong to a family known scientifically as “hipposideridae” and are spread throughout Africa, Asia and Australia.
According to the study, the new bats were hidden in public view because they resemble previously known species, were identified through genetic analysis, and are generally called "paper nose bats," as they have not yet been named with specific names.
| One of the new discovered bats (Eurek Alert) |
The importance of studying bats Bats
play a big role in human life. They pollinate crops and eat mosquitoes that are disease-carrying. Therefore, they carry diseases themselves.
However, we do not know anything about most of these animals, as there are more than 1400 species of bats, and scientists have known only 25% of them during the past 15 years.
For most bats, scientists do not know how they evolved, where they live, and how they interact with the world around them. This cognitive deficiency can be dangerous, because the more we know about bats, the more we can protect them and defend ourselves against the diseases they can spread.
"The Covid 19 virus, which is spreading among humans, originated in the horseshoe bat in China," says Bruce Patterson, supervisor of the MacArthur mammal program at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois, and lead author of the study.
Patterson added, "There are 25 or 30 types of horseshoe bat in China, and no one can determine which one is involved, so we owe it to ourselves to know more about them and their relatives."
As for the new bats, research participant Terry Dimos says, "Paper-noseed bats carry coronaviruses, which are not the strain that affects humans today, but this is certainly not the last time that the virus passes from wild mammals to humans .. if it was We have a better knowledge of these bats, so we will be better prepared if that happens. "
The fear of bats
urges researchers in the study not to take a position on bats because they are the source of the Corona pandemic, and Patterson confirms that "all living things contain viruses, and even roses in your garden contain viruses .. We worry about viruses when it comes to influenza and epidemics, but Viruses are part of nature and many are harmless. "
But while all animals carry viruses, bats are distinguished for their transmission to humans, perhaps because they are among the most social mammals living in colonies of up to 20 million, or because of their ability to fly.
Bats carry many pathogens without getting sick because they have strong immune systems, and their DNA is able to repair itself when damaged. Nor does it communicate much with people, and unless you try to search for them, either to harass or kill them, they are unlikely to hit you.