Its favourite food sources are the Borassus and date palm trees. Thanks to the strong, hooked claw on its thumbs the bat is a good climber and can defend itself against attackers. It can use its feet like hands to open the shells or skins of fruits. The bat bites into hard shells with its sharp canines and mashes the fruit between its teeth, sucking out the nectar.
Unfortunately, however, this is by no means the case for humans. In the event of a similar viral invasion, our immune system would react by exhibiting an extremely powerful inflammatory response. Wang explains: “Contrary to popular perception, few viruses kill humans. Humans actually kill themselves because of the excessive inflammation.” In other words, unlike fruit bats, which have a constantly activated immune firewall, our operating system ends in a short circuit – and it collapses.
“IT’S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME UNTIL WE WILL BE ABLE TO UNLOCK THIS SECRET” Scientists are now trying to identify the proteins that fruit bats use to control inflammation and prevent tumours forming. These proteins -or modifications thereof – could then be used to treat conditions characterised by life-limiting inflammation such as arthritis, rheumatism and heart disease.
The findings could also contribute to a cure for deadly viruses like SARS and Ebola. Many human lives could be saved. Zoologist Emma Teeling from the University of Dublin is convinced: “It’s only a matter of time until we will be able to unlock this secret once and for all. Mother Nature has the answer.”
Eradicating fruit bats for fear of contagion could have catastrophic consequences, says Wang. Studies have shown that culling populations can actually increase the risk of an epidemic – moving or destroying colonies increases stress levels in the bats, which raises their viral load and the risk of spillover. The contamination of vast areas from injured and dead bats also raises the risk of the virus spreading.
This in turn raises the risk of other animals being infected. Moreover, bats are crucial to the planet’s ecological balance because they eat insects that damage crops. In fact, a colony of bats can end a pest outbreak in a single night, not thanks to the viruses they carry but simply by deploying their excellent hunting instinct.
