Hunter Virus: Monitoring Nipah Virus in Bat Populations | HHMI BioInteractive Video



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In this video, we follow scientists working in Bangladesh while they are testing bat populations to determine if they are infected with the Nipah virus, a potentially fatal virus when it is transmitted to humans. ;man.

Bats of the genus Pteropus (also called flying foxes) carry a virus called Nipah, which can be transmitted to humans and cause serious illness. In Bangladesh, the virus causes an epidemic almost every year. Dr. Jon Epstein of the EcoHealth Alliance explains the evidence that bats are the natural reservoir of the virus and that scientists have discovered the pathway for transmission to humans. Dr. Epstein and colleagues in Bangladesh are now monitoring bat populations across the country for the presence of the virus to identify human populations that may be at risk of transmission.

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