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Joel Kontinen
According to a study conducted by researchers at the Tel Aviv University, bats also distance themselves when they are sick..
“The
study monitored two colonies of Egyptian fruit bats – one living in an
enclosure and the other in its natural environment. To study the behavior of
bats when they get sick, the researchers injected several bats in each group
with a bacteria-like protein, thereby stimulating their immune response without
generating any real danger to the bats. Tests revealed symptoms such as a high
fever, fatigue and weight loss, and the ‘ill’ bats’ behavior was tracked with GPS.ESEARCHERS.“
The researchers
found out that sick
bats chose to keep
away from the colony. So, the likelihood of bats passing
pathogens to humans under regular conditions is very low because sick bats tend
to isolate themselves and stay in the cave.
Source:
Siegel-Itzkovich, Judy, 2021 . New Tel Aviv University Study Reveals That Bats, Like Humans, Resort To Isolation To Help Prevent Mass Contagion Israel365 News 1 June,
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