Hunting Bats for Human Consumption in Bangladesh

Nahar, Nazmun; Asaduzzaman, Mohammad; Mandal, Utpal Kumar; Rimi, Nadia Ali; Gurley, Emily S.; Rahman, Mahmudur; García, Fernando Martel; Zimicki, Susan; Sultana, Rebeca; Luby, Stephen P.

doi:10.1007/s10393-020-01468-x

Cited by 19 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…In particular, the responses to “Bat meat and bones can cure different diseases” might be responsible for the medical value placed on bat organs in curing different deadly diseases. This finding is aligned with previous findings from a study that was conducted in Bangladesh [ 35 ]. Such a belief may motivate people to consume or use bat meat or other organs.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Understanding the Community Perceptions and Knowledge of Bats and Transmission of Nipah Virus in Bangladesh

Hassan

Kalam

Alam

et al. 2020

Animals

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Bats are known reservoirs of Nipah virus (NiV) and some filoviruses and also appear likely to harbor the evolutionary progenitors of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). While bats are considered a reservoir of deadly viruses, little is known about people’s knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of bat conservation and ecology. The current study aimed to assess community people’s knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of bat ecology, myths, and the role of bats in transmitting NiV in Bangladesh. Since 2001, NiV has been a continuous threat to public health with a mortality rate of approximately 70% in Bangladesh. Over the years, many public health interventions have been implemented to raise awareness about bats and the spreading of NiV among the community peoples of Nipah outbreak areas (NOAs) and Nipah non-outbreak areas (NNOAs). We hypothesized that people from both areas might have similar knowledge of bat ecology and myths about bats but different knowledge regarding their role in the spreading of NiV. Using a four-point Likert scale-based questionnaire, our analysis showed that most people lack adequate knowledge regarding the role of bats in maintaining the ecological balance and instead trust their beliefs in different myths about bats. Factor score analysis showed that respondents’ gender (p = 0.01), the outbreak status of the area (p = 0.03), and their occupation (p = 0.04) were significant factors influencing their knowledge of bat ecology and myths. A regression analysis showed that farmers had 0.34 times the odds of having correct or positive knowledge of bat ecology and myths than businesspersons (odds ratio (OR) = 0.34, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.15–0.78, p = 0.01). Regarding the spreading of NiV via bats, people had a lower level of knowledge. In NOAs, age (p = 0.00), occupation (p = 0.00), and level of education (p = 0.00) were found to be factors contributing to the amount of knowledge regarding the transmission of NiV, whereas in NNOAs, the contributing factors were occupation (p = 0.00) and level of education (p = 0.01). Regression analysis revealed that respondents who were engaged in services (OR = 3.02, 95% CI = 1.07–8.54, p = 0.04) and who had completed primary education (OR = 3.06, 95% CI = 1.02–9.17, p < 0.05) were likely to have correct knowledge regarding the spreading of NiV. Based on the study results, we recommend educational interventions for targeted groups in the community, highlighting the ecosystem services and conservation of bats so as to improve people’s current knowledge and subsequent behavior regarding the role of bats in ecology and the spreading of NiV in Bangladesh.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Understanding the Community Perceptions and Knowledge of Bats and Transmission of Nipah Virus in Bangladesh

Hassan

Kalam

Alam

et al. 2020

Animals

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“…Despite the widespread distribution of bat roost sites and the presence of some relatively large roosts (>1,000 bats), interviewees report that, with respect to their own memory, most roosts are decreasing in size ( Figure 4A). These patterns support anecdotal reports of decreasing P. medius populations from biologists and bat hunters, a trend attributed to cutting of roost trees and overhunting [66,67]. Local Nipah virus spillover investigation teams have reported that village residents will often cut down roost trees within villages after an outbreak [44].…”

Section: Spatial Distribution and Sizes Of Pteropus Medius Roostssupporting

confidence: 75%

“…There is also a need for increased surveillance of bats and humans in close contact with bats in Bangladesh and other areas within the range of Pteropus bats. These enhanced surveillance efforts could include serosurveys of bat hunters, date palm sap collectors, people who drink sap or eat fruits that have been partially consumed by bats, and people who live in close proximity to bat roost sites [13,66,133,134]. While there has been no evidence that consuming fruits partially eaten by bats is associated with Nipah virus spillover to humans in Bangladesh and Cambodia [13,135], this route was believed to be the cause of the 1998-1999 outbreaks in pigs that led to human cases in Malaysia and Singapore [54].…”

Section: Possible Interventions To Prevent Nipah Virus Spillovermentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Like other Pteropus spp. bats, P. medius populations appear to be in decline due to hunting and habitat loss [66][67][68], but P. medius also appears to thrive in the human-dominated landscapes of Bangladesh. This adaptability derives from the opportunistic feeding habits of Pteropus species and their ability to forage over large areas [63,[69][70][71].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The ecology of Nipah virus in Bangladesh: a nexus of land use change and opportunistic feeding behavior in bats

McKee

Islam

Luby

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Nipah virus is a bat-borne paramyxovirus that produces yearly outbreaks of fatal encephalitis in Bangladesh. Understanding the ecological conditions that lead to spillover from bats to humans can assist in designing effective interventions. To investigate the current and historical processes that drive Nipah spillover in Bangladesh, we analyzed the relationship between spillover events and climatic conditions, the spatial distribution and size of Pteropus medius roosts, and patterns of land use change in Bangladesh over the last 300 years. We found that 53% of annual variation in winter spillovers is explained by winter temperature, which may affect bat behavior, physiology, and human risk behaviors. We infer from changes in forest cover that a progressive shift in bat roosting behavior occurred over hundreds of years, producing the current system where a majority of P. medius populations are small (median of 150 bats), occupy roost sites for 10 years or more, live in areas of high human population density, and opportunistically feed on cultivated food resources - conditions that promote viral spillover. Without interventions, continuing anthropogenic pressure on bat populations similar to what has occurred in Bangladesh could result in more regular spillovers of other bat viruses, including Hendra and Ebola viruses.

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“…In China and Southeast Asia, wet markets pose particularly high risks of avian influenza and other zoonotic infections (Webster 2004;Woo et al 2006). Similarly, in places such as western Africa and South Asia, bushmeat sold in both rural and urban markets are a major source of dietary protein but have also led to infections by Ebola and Hendra virus, among other pathogens (Nathan et al 2005;Ordaz-Nemeth et al 2017;Nahar et al 2020).…”

Section: Ecosystem Conversion Meat Consumption and Pathogen Spillover Risksmentioning

confidence: 99%

The socioeconomic and environmental drivers of the COVID-19 pandemic: A review

2021

Ambio

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In recent decades, there has been an intensification of the socioeconomic and environmental drivers of pandemics, including ecosystem conversion, meat consumption, urbanization, and connectivity among cities and countries. This paper reviews how these four systemic drivers help explain the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic and other recent emerging infectious diseases, and the policies that can be adopted to mitigate their risks. Land-use change and meat consumption increase the likelihood of pathogen spillover from animals to people. The risk that such zoonotic outbreaks will then spread to become pandemics is magnified by growing urban populations and the networks of trade and travel within and among countries. Zoonotic spillover can be mitigated through habitat protection and restrictions on the wildlife trade. Containing infectious disease spread requires a high degree of coordination among institutions across geographic jurisdictions and economic sectors, all backed by international investment and cooperation.Keywords Biodiversity conservation Á COVID-19 Á Emerging infectious diseases Á Global health Á Pandemics Á Wildlife trade

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Hunting Bats for Human Consumption in Bangladesh

Cited by 19 publications

References 35 publications

Understanding the Community Perceptions and Knowledge of Bats and Transmission of Nipah Virus in Bangladesh

Understanding the Community Perceptions and Knowledge of Bats and Transmission of Nipah Virus in Bangladesh

The ecology of Nipah virus in Bangladesh: a nexus of land use change and opportunistic feeding behavior in bats

The socioeconomic and environmental drivers of the COVID-19 pandemic: A review

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