By catching bats, these ‘virus hunters’ hope to stop the next pandemic | Wider image

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Researchers wearing headlights and protective suits compete to untie the claws and wings of bats caught in a large, dark net in the Philippine province of Laguna.

Tiny animals are carefully placed in cloth bags to be taken, measured and swabbed, with recorded details and saliva and feces collected for analysis before being returned to the wild.

. Laguna, Philippines. Reuters / Eloisa Lopez

“As we continue to have close contact with wildlife, we deliberately expose ourselves to disease and danger. If we cannot stop this, we could also develop control measures to at least reduce the impact of possible future outbreaks. why this research is important. With reference data on the nature and occurrence of the potential zoonotic virus in bats, we can somehow predict possible outbreaks and establish appropriate, robust and science-based health protocols, “said bat ecologist Kirk Taray.

Beyond laboratory work, the research requires long trips, which involve hours of full rainforest and precarious night trips on mountains covered with rocks, tree roots, mud and moss.

The group also targets bat places in buildings, installing fog nets before dusk to catch bats and extract torchlight samples.

. Laguna, Philippines. Reuters / Eloisa Lopez

Alviola owns a bat captured from Mount Makiling.

Each bat is constantly held by the head, while researchers insert small swabs into the mouth and record stretches of wings with plastic rulers to try to see which of the more than 1,300 species and 20 families of bats are most susceptible to infections and why.

Researchers wear protective suits, masks and gloves when in contact with bats as a precaution against catching viruses.

. Laguna, Philippines. Reuters / Eloisa Lopez

“I teach students and I also remain a student. It’s fun. Being on the field for even 24 hours means being in the office from eight to five,” Cosico said.

“It’s really scary these days,” said Edison Cosico, who is assisting Alviola. “You never know if the bat is already a carrier.

“What we’re looking for is to find out if there are any more bat viruses that can be transmitted to humans. We’ll never know if the next one is exactly like COVID.”

Most of those captured are horseshoe bats known to harbor coronaviruses, including the closest known relative of the new coronavirus.

. Laguna, Philippines. Reuters / Eloisa Lopez

“With the ongoing pandemic, more caution is being considered when studying bats. Several measures and protocols are in place to protect both researchers and bats. Community quarantine and travel restrictions have also added difficulties. especially in accessing potential study areas, “Taray said.

Human exposure and closer interaction with wildlife have meant that the risk of disease transmission has now been higher than ever, said bat ecologist Kirk Taray.

Having basic data on the nature and occurrence of the potential zoonotic virus in bats, we can somehow predict possible outbreaks.

PHOTO EDITING MARIKA KOCHIASHVILI; MARTIN PETTY WRITING, KARISHMA SINGH EDITING; JULIA DALRYMPLE’S CAR

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