Virus Hunter Monitoring Nipah Virus in Bat Populations

In this video HHMI BioInteractive documented the scientists working in Bangladesh as they test fruit bat populations to determine whether they are infected with Nipah virus—a potentially deadly virus when passed on to humans.

Fruit bats (also called flying foxes) of the genus Pteropus carry a virus called Nipah which can be transmitted to humans and cause severe disease. In Bangladesh the virus causes a disease outbreak almost every year. Dr. Jon Epstein of the EcoHealth Alliance walks us through the evidence that established that bats are the natural reservoir of the virus and how scientists uncovered the route of transmission to humans. Dr. Epstein and collaborators in Bangladesh are now monitoring bat populations throughout the country for the presence for the virus to identify human populations that might be at risk of transmission.