Bats

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UNDER CONSTRUCTION

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This is the beginning of a page dedicated to a friend who died from the bite of an ordinary fruit bat. She was the second known victim of a newly identified rabies-like virus hosted by bats and transmitted to humans.

The virus was unknown until scientists investigated the reason for the deaths of several horses, and of two handlers in the south of Queensland, and in the course of that investigation screened local bats for pathogens. It so happened that the virus that killed the horses was identified, as well as a handful of previously unknown viruses, and this investigatory work fortuitously allowed medical authorities to identify the source of the fatal illness a woman contracted soon after the original horse disease.

Monique knew nothing of this when she was bitten at a family function two years before abruptly falling ill with symptoms that soon led to coma and death.

Since that time concerns have been raised that in Malaysia a similar virus is being transmitted by pigs, transferred by local colonies of bats.

The obvious question arises as to why bats are suddenly dangerous. Did this virus exist before, or is it a result of our stressing natural systems of the planet. New Scientist Magazine suggests that this is unlikely, that it is the newly forced proximity of bats to human habitation that has increased the chances of the virus being transmitted.

Meanwhile we will assemble information, and post it when it is complete enough to provide rules for avoiding such deaths...

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