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
feel a thing
feel a thing in the bite itself is superficial but
in the bite itself is superficial but
in the bite itself is superficial but increasingly bats are targeting humans
increasingly bats are targeting humans
increasingly bats are targeting humans and the encounters are turning deadly
and the encounters are turning deadly
and the encounters are turning deadly the bats are blamed for rabies outbreaks
the bats are blamed for rabies outbreaks
the bats are blamed for rabies outbreaks in Peru a National Geographic grantee
in Peru a National Geographic grantee
in Peru a National Geographic grantee Daniel Stryker is researching the
Daniel Stryker is researching the
Daniel Stryker is researching the environmental causes and extent of the
environmental causes and extent of the
environmental causes and extent of the disease vampire bats are kind of the
disease vampire bats are kind of the
disease vampire bats are kind of the perfect storm of different ecological
perfect storm of different ecological
perfect storm of different ecological characteristics on the 110 these bats
characteristics on the 110 these bats
characteristics on the 110 these bats are feeding on larger mammals which are
are feeding on larger mammals which are
are feeding on larger mammals which are susceptible to rabies and in order to
susceptible to rabies and in order to
susceptible to rabies and in order to feed on these animals to drink their
feed on these animals to drink their
feed on these animals to drink their blood they have to bite inviting is also
blood they have to bite inviting is also
blood they have to bite inviting is also the main group of transmission and
the main group of transmission and
the main group of transmission and gravis virus striker is surveying
gravis virus striker is surveying
gravis virus striker is surveying vampire bats from the Amazon rainforest
vampire bats from the Amazon rainforest
vampire bats from the Amazon rainforest to the farms along the valleys of the
to the farms along the valleys of the
to the farms along the valleys of the Andes Mountains
Andes Mountains
Andes Mountains vampire bats are native to puristic but
vampire bats are native to puristic but
vampire bats are native to puristic but 500 years ago settlers imported an ideal
500 years ago settlers imported an ideal
500 years ago settlers imported an ideal food source cattle and as the number of
food source cattle and as the number of
food 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 a classic
frightening and deadly disease a classic
frightening and deadly disease a classic form of the disease turns even docile
form of the disease turns even docile
form of the disease turns even docile creatures into aggressors that folman
creatures into aggressors that folman
creatures into aggressors that folman the mound but the strain found in
the mound but the strain found in
the mound but the strain found in vampire bats is different it’s known as
vampire bats is different it’s known as
vampire bats is different it’s known as paralytic or dumb rabies causing
paralytic or dumb rabies causing
paralytic or dumb rabies causing disorientation muscle weakness and event
disorientation muscle weakness and event
disorientation muscle weakness and event yeah
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 bat has any
results come back clear bat has any
results come back clear bat has any bodies and Stryker knows the bat was
bodies and Stryker knows the bat was
bodies and Stryker knows the bat was exposed to rabies in the recent past so
exposed to rabies in the recent past so
exposed to rabies in the recent past so 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 and finally we can ask some
population and finally we can ask some
population and finally we can ask some 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 the vampire
preliminary results indicate the vampire
preliminary results indicate the vampire bats from agricultural areas may
bats from agricultural areas may
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 the
live near cattle ranches fall ill the
live near cattle ranches fall ill the phrase if there are so many bats around
phrase if there are so many bats around
phrase 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 people
people reducing the attacks on people
people reducing the attacks on people but as vampire bat populations increase
but as vampire bat populations increase
but as vampire bat populations increase and more livestock become infected this
and more livestock become infected this
and more livestock 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 development such as long combining road
development such as long combining road
development such as long combining road construction is wiped out fast tracks of
construction is wiped out fast tracks of
construction is wiped out fast tracks of habitat and reduce wildlife populations
habitat and reduce wildlife populations
habitat and reduce wildlife populations and since there’s not much livestock in
and since there’s not much livestock in
and since there’s not much livestock in this area the bats turn to another food
this area the bats turn to another food
this area the bats turn to another food source humans
source humans
source humans there may be fewer infected bats but
there may be fewer infected bats but
there may be fewer infected bats but they bite people more frequently this be
they bite people more frequently this be
they bite people more frequently this be why the disease is far more common here
why the disease is far more common here
why the disease is far more common here than in the Angelus there’s much more to
than in the Angelus there’s much more to
than in the Angelus there’s much more to learn about how widespread rabies is
learn about how widespread rabies is
learn about how widespread rabies is among the countries bat populations what
among the countries bat populations what
among the countries bat populations what we don’t know is how this disease is
we don’t know is how this disease is
we don’t know is how this disease is persisting in the vampire bat so we and
persisting in the vampire bat so we and
persisting in the vampire bat so we and as a correlative that we don’t know
as a correlative that we don’t know
as a correlative that we don’t know where it is they’re part of us so again
where it is they’re part of us so again
where it is they’re part of us so again much more widespread potentially it’s
much more widespread potentially it’s
much more widespread potentially it’s it’s always present formations Stryker
it’s always present formations Stryker
it’s always present formations Stryker will continue to collect data hoping his
will continue to collect data hoping his
will continue to collect data hoping his research will eventually help predict
research will eventually help predict
research will eventually help predict where people will need to be vaccinated
where people will need to be vaccinated
where people will need to be vaccinated the more he learns about this
the more he learns about this
the more he learns about this frightening disease
frightening disease
frightening disease the chance we may someday be able to
the chance we may someday be able to
the chance we may someday be able to control it
”
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