Research by Cornell's Raina Plowright shows that habitat loss drives bats to non-native diets, leading to increased viral shedding and potential spillover to horses and humans. The study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Academy B, highlights how low-protein diets like mandarins cause bats to forage more, further spreading viruses like Hendra. This work emphasizes the broader implications of climate change and land development on bat health and overlapping ecosystems, raising alarms for future outbreaks of deadly viruses including SARS and Ebola.
In our field studies, we observed a connection between eating poor-quality foods, increased shedding of Hendra virus and subsequent spillover of the virus into horses.
Diet had a profound effect on the animals' ability to clear a virus, highlighting the significant impact of habitat loss and dietary changes.
The research warns of the impact of climate change and land development on bats' health, increasing the risk of spillover and pandemics.
Some of these viruses are incredibly lethal, yet we continue to clear the land, change the climate and disrupt ecosystems.
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