Tackling biodiversity could be key to averting future global health pandemics 

Researchers examined bats who were displaced from their winter habitats through climate changes, and found that disruptions to their food supply drew them into urban areas. Picture: iStock

Tackling the biodiversity crisis through restoring natural habitats could make the difference in future health pandemics being averted.

That is the conclusion of American and Australian scientists, who studied bats over 25 years and their interaction with other species such as horses and humans.

Researchers based in Australia examined bats who were displaced from their winter habitats through climate changes and human forest destruction. When their food supplies were disrupted, the bats tended to splinter.

When they dispersed, they tended to move towards urban and agricultural areas near humans, excreting more virus in the process.

The study, published in science journal Nature, looked at an often-deadly illness in humans, the Hendra virus, and its transmission from fruit bats to horses and onto people.

Hendra is a serious condition that can include bleeding and filling up of the lungs, even leading to viral meningitis in some cases. As well as Hendra, the likes of Covid, Nipah, and even the fearsome Ebola are all examples of viruses that fatally spill from bats to humans.

The study found that in the years that food in their natural habitats was plentiful during winter months, bats emptied out of agricultural areas to feed in native forests, and away from human communities.

The scientists are now examining whether similar patterns can be found in other wildlife and human interaction. Cornell University public and ecosystem health professor and senior author of the research, Raina Plowright, said:

Right now, the world is focused on how we can stop the next pandemic. Unfortunately, preserving or restoring nature is rarely part of the discussion.

The research found that when unspoiled eucalyptus trees bloomed in winter, large numbers of bats flocked to these areas. During these periods, pathogen spillover completely ceased, the scientists observed.

Prof Plowright said: "We show that when remaining habitat produces food, spillover stops, and therefore a sustainable way to stop these events could be to preserve and restore critical habitat.”

The research comes ahead of a major global biodiversity summit, Cop15, in Montreal next month. The event has been described as a pivotal moment for nature and biodiversity.

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