much like their mythical namesakes vampire bats must feast on fresh blood
vampire bats must feast on fresh blood
vampire bats must feast on fresh blood every two to three days or die of
every two to three days or die of
every two to three days or die of starvation they seek out warm-blooded
starvation they seek out warm-blooded
starvation they seek out warm-blooded mammals thriving off domestic livestock
mammals thriving off domestic livestock
mammals thriving off domestic livestock living in the tropical regions of South
living in the tropical regions of South
living in the tropical regions of South and Central America most victims never
and Central America most victims never
and Central America most victims never feel a thing and the bite itself is
feel a thing and the bite itself is
feel a thing and the bite itself is superficial but increasingly bats are
superficial but increasingly bats are
superficial but increasingly bats are targeting humans and the encounters are
targeting humans and the encounters are
targeting humans and the encounters are turning deadly the bats are blamed for
turning deadly the bats are blamed for
turning deadly the bats are blamed for rabies outbreaks in Peru a National
rabies outbreaks in Peru a National
rabies outbreaks in Peru a National Geographic grantee Daniel Stryker is
Geographic grantee Daniel Stryker is
Geographic grantee Daniel Stryker is researching the environmental causes and
researching the environmental causes and
researching the environmental causes and extent of the disease vampire bats are
extent of the disease vampire bats are
extent of the disease vampire bats are kind of the perfect storm of different
kind of the perfect storm of different
kind of the perfect storm of different ecological characteristics on the one
ecological characteristics on the one
ecological characteristics on the one hand these bats are feeding on larger
hand these bats are feeding on larger
hand these bats are feeding on larger mammals which are susceptible to rabies
mammals which are susceptible to rabies
mammals which are susceptible to rabies and in order to feed on these animals to
and in order to feed on these animals to
and in order to feed on these animals to drink their blood they have to bite
drink their blood they have to bite
drink their blood they have to bite inviting is also the main route of
inviting is also the main route of
inviting is also the main route of transmission of rabies virus Stryker is
transmission of rabies virus Stryker is
transmission of rabies virus Stryker is surveying vampire bats from the Amazon
surveying vampire bats from the Amazon
surveying vampire bats from the Amazon rainforest to the farms along the
rainforest to the farms along the
rainforest to the farms along the valleys of the Andes Mountains vampire
valleys of the Andes Mountains vampire
valleys of the Andes Mountains vampire bats are native to Peru the 500 years
bats are native to Peru the 500 years
bats are native to Peru the 500 years ago settlers imported an ideal food
ago settlers imported an ideal food
ago settlers imported an ideal food source cattle and as the number of
source cattle and as the number of
source cattle and as the number of livestock increases and spreads across
livestock increases and spreads across
livestock increases and spreads across the country so too does the population
the country so too does the population
the country so too does the population of vampire bats today large colonies
of vampire bats today large colonies
of vampire bats today large colonies thrive near areas devoted to ranching
yet despite the burgeoning bat
yet despite the burgeoning bat population it’s rare for people living
population it’s rare for people living
population it’s rare for people living in these agricultural areas to become
in these agricultural areas to become
in these agricultural areas to become infected with rabies rabies is a
infected with rabies rabies is a
infected with rabies rabies is a frightening and deadly disease the
frightening and deadly disease the
frightening and deadly disease the classic form of the disease turns even
classic form of the disease turns even
classic form of the disease turns even docile creatures into aggressors that
docile creatures into aggressors that
docile creatures into aggressors that foam at the mouth but the strain found
foam at the mouth but the strain found
foam at the mouth but the strain found in vampire bats is different it’s known
in vampire bats is different it’s known
in vampire bats is different it’s known as paralytic or dumb rabies causing
as paralytic or dumb rabies causing
as paralytic or dumb rabies causing disorientation muscle weakness and
disorientation muscle weakness and
disorientation muscle weakness and eventually death
eventually death
eventually death to learn more he must turn the tables
to learn more he must turn the tables
to learn more he must turn the tables this time it’s a human taking blood from
this time it’s a human taking blood from
this time it’s a human taking blood from a vampire working at the Centers for
a vampire working at the Centers for
a vampire working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the
Disease Control and Prevention or the
Disease Control and Prevention or the CDC in Atlanta
CDC in Atlanta
CDC in Atlanta Streicher adds a lab strain of the
Streicher adds a lab strain of the
Streicher adds a lab strain of the rabies virus to blood samples he
rabies virus to blood samples he
rabies virus to blood samples he collected from vampire bats in Peru
collected from vampire bats in Peru
collected from vampire bats in Peru after an incubation period the test
after an incubation period the test
after an incubation period the test results will show which bats had been
results will show which bats had been
results will show which bats had been exposed to the rabies under the
exposed to the rabies under the
exposed to the rabies under the microscope fluorescent green dye
microscope fluorescent green dye
microscope fluorescent green dye indicates no antibodies present meaning
indicates no antibodies present meaning
indicates no antibodies present meaning the bat was free of disease but if the
the bat was free of disease but if the
the bat was free of disease but if the results come back clear the bat has
results come back clear the bat has
results come back clear the bat has antibodies and striker knows the bat was
antibodies and striker knows the bat was
antibodies and striker knows the bat was exposed to rabies in the recent past
exposed to rabies in the recent past
exposed to rabies in the recent past this is an important test for us because
this is an important test for us because
this is an important test for us because it allows us to first determine whether
it allows us to first determine whether
it allows us to first determine whether the virus is present or absent in a bat
the virus is present or absent in a bat
the virus is present or absent in a bat population finally we can ask them
population finally we can ask them
population finally we can ask them questions at the population level
questions at the population level
questions at the population level specifically asking things like as you
specifically asking things like as you
specifically asking things like as you have more livestock in a given area do
have more livestock in a given area do
have more livestock in a given area do you see a higher proportion of bats that
you see a higher proportion of bats that
you see a higher proportion of bats that have been exposed to this virus
have been exposed to this virus
have been exposed to this virus preliminary results indicate that
preliminary results indicate that
preliminary results indicate that vampire bats from agricultural areas may
vampire bats from agricultural areas may
vampire bats from agricultural areas may actually have a higher rate of infection
actually have a higher rate of infection
actually have a higher rate of infection than do bats from other parts of the
than do bats from other parts of the
than do bats from other parts of the country so why then to so few people who
country so why then to so few people who
country so why then to so few people who live near cattle ranches fall ill with
live near cattle ranches fall ill with
live near cattle ranches fall ill with rabies if there are so many bats around
rabies if there are so many bats around
rabies if there are so many bats around infected with the disease Stryker
infected with the disease Stryker
infected with the disease Stryker believes that the livestock act as a
believes that the livestock act as a
believes that the livestock act as a buffer bats prefer passive herds to
buffer bats prefer passive herds to
buffer bats prefer passive herds to people reducing the attacks on the
people reducing the attacks on the
people reducing the attacks on the people
people
people but as vampire bat populations increase
but as vampire bat populations increase
but as vampire bat populations increase and more lifestyle become infected this
and more lifestyle become infected this
and more lifestyle become infected this could pose a greater rabies threat to
could pose a greater rabies threat to
could pose a greater rabies threat to people in the future the same theory may
people in the future the same theory may
people in the future the same theory may explain why human rabies is more common
explain why human rabies is more common
explain why human rabies is more common in Peru’s Amazon rainforest here
in Peru’s Amazon rainforest here
in Peru’s Amazon rainforest here developments such as logging mining and
developments such as logging mining and
developments such as logging mining and road construction is wiped out vast
road construction is wiped out vast
road construction is wiped out vast tracts of habitat and reduced wildlife
tracts of habitat and reduced wildlife
tracts of habitat and reduced wildlife populations and since there’s not much
populations and since there’s not much
populations and since there’s not much livestock in this area the bats turn to
livestock in this area the bats turn to
livestock in this area the bats turn to another food source humans there may be
another food source humans there may be
another food source humans there may be fewer infected bats but they bite people
fewer infected bats but they bite people
fewer infected bats but they bite people more frequently could this be why the
more frequently could this be why the
more frequently could this be why the disease is far more common here than in
disease is far more common here than in
disease is far more common here than in the Andes there’s much more to learn
the Andes there’s much more to learn
the Andes there’s much more to learn about how widespread rabies is among the
about how widespread rabies is among the
about how widespread rabies is among the countries bat population what we don’t
countries bat population what we don’t
countries bat population what we don’t know is how this disease is persisting
know is how this disease is persisting
know is how this disease is persisting in the vampire bat so we and as a poor
in the vampire bat so we and as a poor
in the vampire bat so we and as a poor load of that we don’t know where it is a
load of that we don’t know where it is a
load of that we don’t know where it is a bit of our bats so again much more
bit of our bats so again much more
bit of our bats so again much more widespread potentially it’s all it’s
widespread potentially it’s all it’s
widespread potentially it’s all it’s always present these populations
always present these populations
always present these populations striker will continue to collect data
striker will continue to collect data
striker will continue to collect data hoping his research will eventually help
hoping his research will eventually help
hoping his research will eventually help predict where people will need to be
predict where people will need to be
predict where people will need to be vaccinated the more he learns about this
vaccinated the more he learns about this
vaccinated the more he learns about this frightening disease the better the
frightening disease the better the
frightening disease the better the chance we may someday be able to control
chance we may someday be able to control
chance we may someday be able to control it sponsored by National Geographic
it sponsored by National Geographic
it sponsored by National Geographic mission programs taking science and
mission programs taking science and
mission programs taking science and exploration into the new millennium
”
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