Does public fear that bats spread COVID-19 jeopardize bat conservation?

Lu, Manman; Wang, Xindong; Ye, Huan; Wang, Huimin; Qiu, Shan; Zhang, Hongmao; Liu, Ying; Luo, Jinhong; Jiang, Feng

doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2021.108952

Cited by 46 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 48 publications

(54 reference statements)

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“…In general, incorrect usage of “reservoir”, “vector” or implying that all individuals of all bat species are dangerous and carry viruses pathogenic to people can provoke fear and negative attitudes towards bats, especially when interpreted or sensationalized in popular media [ 8 , 9 ]. Most recently, the frequent association of bats with COVID-19 has led to increased negative attitude towards bats [ 7 , 10 ], persecution by the public and authorities [ 202 , 203 ], and calls from government officials to cull bats [ 7 ]. Even arguably correct—but ambiguous—phrases such as “bat origin”, that summarize complex processes can lead to public confusion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Caveats and common misconceptions or misuse: In the case of SARS-CoV-2 “bat origin” has clearly been used as shorthand to illustrate the evolutionary relationship between ancestral bat coronaviruses or sister groups of bat coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2. However, this use is easily misinterpreted by both scientists who are not experts in virology or phylogenetics, and the public, who may incorrectly understand such phrasing to mean a pathogen that is transmitted directly from bats to humans, that is, that they are the origin of the pandemic [ 7 ]. Rather, “bat origin” is meant to indicate that the ancestor of SARS-CoV-2 likely originated in bats of the genus Rhinolophus [ 6 ].…”

Section: Glossary Of Termsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In yet other cases, microbes detected in some bat species are similar to those causing human disease but this indicates only an evolutionary relationship, not transmission of a pathogen currently circulating in bat populations [ 6 ]. These nuances are often misunderstood by the public [ 7 ], which directly threatens bat conservation through increased negative attitudes towards bats, as well as persecution, eviction and even government proposals to cull populations [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Setting the Terms for Zoonotic Diseases: Effective Communication for Research, Conservation, and Public Policy

Shapiro

Víquez-R

Leopardi

et al. 2021

Viruses

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Many of the world’s most pressing issues, such as the emergence of zoonotic diseases, can only be addressed through interdisciplinary research. However, the findings of interdisciplinary research are susceptible to miscommunication among both professional and non-professional audiences due to differences in training, language, experience, and understanding. Such miscommunication contributes to the misunderstanding of key concepts or processes and hinders the development of effective research agendas and public policy. These misunderstandings can also provoke unnecessary fear in the public and have devastating effects for wildlife conservation. For example, inaccurate communication and subsequent misunderstanding of the potential associations between certain bats and zoonoses has led to persecution of diverse bats worldwide and even government calls to cull them. Here, we identify four types of miscommunication driven by the use of terminology regarding bats and the emergence of zoonotic diseases that we have categorized based on their root causes: (1) incorrect or overly broad use of terms; (2) terms that have unstable usage within a discipline, or different usages among disciplines; (3) terms that are used correctly but spark incorrect inferences about biological processes or significance in the audience; (4) incorrect inference drawn from the evidence presented. We illustrate each type of miscommunication with commonly misused or misinterpreted terms, providing a definition, caveats and common misconceptions, and suggest alternatives as appropriate. While we focus on terms specific to bats and disease ecology, we present a more general framework for addressing miscommunication that can be applied to other topics and disciplines to facilitate more effective research, problem-solving, and public policy.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Glossary Of Termsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Setting the Terms for Zoonotic Diseases: Effective Communication for Research, Conservation, and Public Policy

Shapiro

Víquez-R

Leopardi

et al. 2021

Viruses

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Even the specially organized bat conservation lecture failed to correct the misconception that bats transmit SARS-CoV-2 to humans directly. The authors suggested that this was due to the frequent inaccurate media coverage, general cultural bias, but also the way virologists talk about the associations between bats and diseases (Lu et al, 2021).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disease Avoidance Model Explains the Acceptance of Cohabitation With Bats During the COVID-19 Pandemic

et al. 2021

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Bats and humans have a close relationship based on cohabitation, with bats taking roost in buildings. It has been suggested that bats function as a reservoir of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the COVID-19 disease in humans. A misconception that bats can spread SARS-CoV-2 to humans may have increased negative emotions toward bats and reduced individuals’ acceptance of cohabitation with bats during the COVID-19 pandemic. By applying the disease avoidance model, we tested whether knowledge about bats would be associated with reduced negative emotions toward bats, which in turn would be associated with increased acceptance of cohabitation with bats. Moreover, we tested whether previous experiences of bats, perceived COVID-19 risk, age, gender and level of education would be associated with negative emotions and acceptance of bats. A quantitative survey (N = 577) collected during the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland was analyzed with multiple linear regression. The results supported the disease avoidance model. Negative emotions toward bats reduced the acceptance of cohabitation with bats. However, knowledge about bats was associated with increased acceptance of bats both directly, as well as indirectly, via reduced negative emotions. Moreover, perceived COVID-19 risk was associated with increased negative emotions toward bats, and reduced acceptance of bats. Females were more likely than other respondents to report negative emotions, and reduced acceptance of cohabitation with bats. Prior experience of bats was associated with increased acceptance of bats as neighbors. These findings suggest that COVID-19 pandemic may threaten the existence of bats if no action is taken. The findings highlight the importance of correcting misunderstandings about non-human species as transmitters of diseases to humans.

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“…Yet, while the connections may be legitimate, these messages can backfire without a fully considered messaging strategy. For example, attempts to counteract negative perceptions of bats may have reinforced negative links between wildlife and disease [ 2 , 3 ], and communications framing the COVID-19 economic crisis as a ‘trial run’ for climate action may not increase support for mitigation strategies as hoped [ 4 ]. By taking a strategic communications approach ( Figure 1 ) and drawing on pre-established messaging evidence (e.g., see literature cited herein and online vi , vii , conservation professionals can work to avoid such pitfalls.…”

Section: Narratives Of Nature and Covid-19mentioning

confidence: 99%