this is a bat that feeds exclusively on blood as the name implies and the way
blood as the name implies and the way
blood as the name implies and the way that that bat feeds is to make a
that that bat feeds is to make a
that that bat feeds is to make a razor-sharp incision into the animal
razor-sharp incision into the animal
razor-sharp incision into the animal that it’s feeding on and then it uses a
that it’s feeding on and then it uses a
that it’s feeding on and then it uses a specially grooved tongue to lap up blood
specially grooved tongue to lap up blood
specially grooved tongue to lap up blood and that’s not it because these bats
and that’s not it because these bats
and that’s not it because these bats also have anticoagulants in their saliva
also have anticoagulants in their saliva
also have anticoagulants in their saliva which keep that blood flowing and after
which keep that blood flowing and after
which keep that blood flowing and after they finish eating they can just hop up
they finish eating they can just hop up
they finish eating they can just hop up into air which is really unusual for a
into air which is really unusual for a
into air which is really unusual for a patent let’s have to climb up onto
patent let’s have to climb up onto
patent let’s have to climb up onto something so all of these traits make
something so all of these traits make
something so all of these traits make bats incredibly good transmitters of
bats incredibly good transmitters of
bats incredibly good transmitters of rabies virus rabies has been described
rabies virus rabies has been described
rabies virus rabies has been described in ancient Chinese and Arabic texts as
in ancient Chinese and Arabic texts as
in ancient Chinese and Arabic texts as an incurable wound resulting from the
an incurable wound resulting from the
an incurable wound resulting from the bite of a rabid animal that incurable
bite of a rabid animal that incurable
bite of a rabid animal that incurable part of rabies is still true we still
part of rabies is still true we still
part of rabies is still true we still don’t have a treatment for people once
don’t have a treatment for people once
don’t have a treatment for people once they start to show signs of rabies even
they start to show signs of rabies even
they start to show signs of rabies even by the most rudimentary standards that
by the most rudimentary standards that
by the most rudimentary standards that we have now one person still dies a
we have now one person still dies a
we have now one person still dies a disease every 15 minutes and another 300
disease every 15 minutes and another 300
disease every 15 minutes and another 300 are exposed
are exposed
are exposed we’re talking about 50 to 60 thousand
we’re talking about 50 to 60 thousand
we’re talking about 50 to 60 thousand people dying every year the natural
people dying every year the natural
people dying every year the natural response of the people that are affected
response of the people that are affected
response of the people that are affected by this is to kill bats the
by this is to kill bats the
by this is to kill bats the state-sanctioned way of killing bats is
state-sanctioned way of killing bats is
state-sanctioned way of killing bats is using a poison called heme parasite
using a poison called heme parasite
using a poison called heme parasite where essentially a poison is mixed
where essentially a poison is mixed
where essentially a poison is mixed together with Vaseline and that spread
together with Vaseline and that spread
together with Vaseline and that spread on the back of a bat they released that
on the back of a bat they released that
on the back of a bat they released that one it flies back to its roost and the
one it flies back to its roost and the
one it flies back to its roost and the other ones grew it off and just the
other ones grew it off and just the
other ones grew it off and just the poison and die sounds straightforward
poison and die sounds straightforward
poison and die sounds straightforward enough unfortunately there’s not really
enough unfortunately there’s not really
enough unfortunately there’s not really much evidence that it’s doing anything
much evidence that it’s doing anything
much evidence that it’s doing anything to control rabies one of the first two
to control rabies one of the first two
to control rabies one of the first two questions that I wanted to ask was why
questions that I wanted to ask was why
questions that I wanted to ask was why is it that this conventional wisdom that
is it that this conventional wisdom that
is it that this conventional wisdom that the only good bat is a dead bat isn’t
the only good bat is a dead bat isn’t
the only good bat is a dead bat isn’t actually doing its purpose so one of the
actually doing its purpose so one of the
actually doing its purpose so one of the most I think innovative and exciting
most I think innovative and exciting
most I think innovative and exciting ideas we’ve had in the last really six
ideas we’ve had in the last really six
ideas we’ve had in the last really six months is whether we can replace the
months is whether we can replace the
months is whether we can replace the poison that’s used in the vent parasite
poison that’s used in the vent parasite
poison that’s used in the vent parasite with an oral rabies vaccine in Peru
with an oral rabies vaccine in Peru
with an oral rabies vaccine in Peru we’re in a spectacular situation to be
we’re in a spectacular situation to be
we’re in a spectacular situation to be able to try this we’ve recently detected
able to try this we’ve recently detected
able to try this we’ve recently detected that they’re actually traveling waves of
that they’re actually traveling waves of
that they’re actually traveling waves of rabies moving down different valleys of
rabies moving down different valleys of
rabies moving down different valleys of the Andes so you can actually see this
the Andes so you can actually see this
the Andes so you can actually see this on the map where the dark points are in
on the map where the dark points are in
on the map where the dark points are in the old baby’s cases the light points
the old baby’s cases the light points
the old baby’s cases the light points the new rabies cases and we see them in
the new rabies cases and we see them in
the new rabies cases and we see them in a very step like manner moving through
a very step like manner moving through
a very step like manner moving through these valleys that is powerful that
these valleys that is powerful that
these valleys that is powerful that allows us to tell farmers okay you’re
allows us to tell farmers okay you’re
allows us to tell farmers okay you’re going to have rabies you don’t have it
going to have rabies you don’t have it
going to have rabies you don’t have it now but
now but
now but we’ll in a month you will in six months
we’ll in a month you will in six months
we’ll in a month you will in six months he will in a year that allows them to
he will in a year that allows them to
he will in a year that allows them to make an informed decision about
make an informed decision about
make an informed decision about vaccinations second this is a really a
vaccinations second this is a really a
vaccinations second this is a really a powerful experimental opportunity we can
powerful experimental opportunity we can
powerful experimental opportunity we can consider this valley and there’s several
consider this valley and there’s several
consider this valley and there’s several others like it we can consider these as
others like it we can consider these as
others like it we can consider these as experimental replicates can we try
experimental replicates can we try
experimental replicates can we try vaccinating at various stages in the
vaccinating at various stages in the
vaccinating at various stages in the valley or across different valleys and
valley or across different valleys and
valley or across different valleys and compare that with other types of
compare that with other types of
compare that with other types of interventions and say what works what
interventions and say what works what
interventions and say what works what doesn’t
doesn’t
doesn’t can we use science to figure this out
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