DEADLY NEW BAT VIRUS FOUND INSIDE A CAVE IN THAILAND CAN INFECT HUMANS

A researcher takes samples from a bat’s mouth inside Sai Yok National Park in Kanchanaburi province, west of Bangkok. [FILE: Sakchai Lalit/AP Photo]

Sun 14 January 2024:

A recently identified bat virus that can infect humans has raised concerned about zoonotic transmission in Thailand. The controversial research group behind this discovery, EcoHealth Alliance, previously linked to studies in Wuhan, revealed the discovery during a World Health Organization (WHO) meeting, IANS reported.

Dr Peter Daszak, the head of EcoHealth Alliance, disclosed the existence of this previously unknown virus found in a Thai cave frequented by local farmers for bat faeces fertilisation.

During the WHO event, Dr Daszak said: “We found a lot of SARS-related coronaviruses, but one in particular we found was quite common in bats where people were commonly exposed.”

He added: “We consider this to be a potential zoonotic pathogen. Here we have a virus in bats, right now in a cave used by people highly exposed to bat faeces. And this virus is shed in bat faeces, so there is a real potential for emergence.”

Dr Daszak, a British-born scientist, has consistently dismissed the lab leak theory, asserting that the coronavirus has natural origins.

Despite the controversy surrounding the origins of the virus, the discovery of a new bat virus underscores the ongoing importance of understanding and monitoring potential sources of zoonotic diseases.

The discovery comes amid a global surge in coronavirus cases, with hospitalisations surging by 42 per cent across 50 countries.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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