Are Bats Bad? Learn More About Coronavirus
When you happen to see a bat, what comes to your mind? Some people think that bats are the most evil mammals in the animal kingdom.
But, it's not that all kinds of bats will attack you on purpose. Some of them will bite the offender when they are in danger. For example, if you catch this animal or if you disturb their territory.
Some bats have rabbies. The rabbies is in their saliva. The incubation period of the rabies can last for weeks or months. Do you know that more than 1,100 various species of bats have been known by man?
Based on series of studies, the results show that there's a big possibility that the original hosts of coronavirus are the bats. Also, experts mentioned that the disease might have been transmitted to humans through an "intermediate host" animal. They think that it happened in Wuhan, China.
Intermediate Host Animal
When you say, "intermediate host", the original virus carrier infected another one and that becomes the new carrier of the disease.
For example, you are raising pigs in your farm. Then, one time there's a bat that reached your place.
When that an ill bat excreted feces, your pets may accidentally eat that and they will get infected. Your pet will become the "intermediate host" of the virus.
Bat Inside the House
There's another a very important matter that we need to understand. If one day, you wake up in the morning and you saw a bat on your wall, what is the right thing that you must do? You must seek help from someone to catch the bat in your house.
Then, go to the appropriate hospital to have yourself tested for potential bite. Even though you cannot see a wound or bite mark, there is still a high likelihood of a bat bite. An expert will also observe the bat.
Bats have very pointed and tiny teeth that can quickly pinch its prey. In some cases, you would not feel nor notice that the bat has bitten you already. Bats pierce their prey and they lick the blood flowing out from the victim.
There was already an incident wherein a household did not mind the presence of the bat in their house. The said household acquired sickness following a few months. They thought that it was just a common respiratory disease that the household had been experiencing.
But, when experts took an advanced examination, they found out that the illness was caused by a virus when the household was bitten by the bat. Good thing that they remembered the presence of bat in their house and they told the incident to the doctor.
Conclusion
What is the purpose of bats to the ecosystem? Bats play a vital role in regulating the population of pesky insects.