Bat Research Networks and Viral Surveillance: Gaps and Opportunities in Western Asia
Bat research networks and viral surveillance are assumed to be at odds due to seemingly conflicting research priorities. Yet human threats that contribute to declines in bat populations globally also lead to increased transmission and spread of bat-associated viruses, which may pose a threat to glob...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2019-03-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/11/3/240 |
| _version_ | 1818007342253342720 |
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| author | Kendra L. Phelps Luke Hamel Nisreen Alhmoud Shahzad Ali Rasit Bilgin Ketevan Sidamonidze Lela Urushadze William Karesh Kevin J. Olival |
| author_facet | Kendra L. Phelps Luke Hamel Nisreen Alhmoud Shahzad Ali Rasit Bilgin Ketevan Sidamonidze Lela Urushadze William Karesh Kevin J. Olival |
| author_sort | Kendra L. Phelps |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Bat research networks and viral surveillance are assumed to be at odds due to seemingly conflicting research priorities. Yet human threats that contribute to declines in bat populations globally also lead to increased transmission and spread of bat-associated viruses, which may pose a threat to global health and food security. In this review, we discuss the importance of and opportunities for multidisciplinary collaborations between bat research networks and infectious disease experts to tackle shared threats that jeopardize bat conservation as well as human and animal health. Moreover, we assess research effort on bats and bat-associated viruses globally, and demonstrate that Western Asia has limited published research and represents a gap for coordinated bat research. The lack of bat research in Western Asia severely limits our capacity to identify and mitigate region-specific threats to bat populations and detect interactions between bats and incidental hosts that promote virus spillover. We detail a regional initiative to establish the first bat research network in Western Asia (i.e., the Western Asia Bat Research Network, WAB-Net), with the aim of integrating ecological research on bats with virus surveillance to find “win-win” solutions that promote bat conservation and safeguard public and animal health across the region. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T05:14:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-079dbc0e505b426f967d819e1a9281fb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T05:14:10Z |
| publishDate | 2019-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-079dbc0e505b426f967d819e1a9281fb2022-12-22T02:10:26ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152019-03-0111324010.3390/v11030240v11030240Bat Research Networks and Viral Surveillance: Gaps and Opportunities in Western AsiaKendra L. Phelps0Luke Hamel1Nisreen Alhmoud2Shahzad Ali3Rasit Bilgin4Ketevan Sidamonidze5Lela Urushadze6William Karesh7Kevin J. Olival8EcoHealth Alliance, New York, NY 10001, USAEcoHealth Alliance, New York, NY 10001, USABiosafety and Biosecurity Center, Royal Scientific Society, 11941 Amman, JordanDepartment of Wildlife & Ecology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore 54000, PakistanInstitute of Environmental Sciences, Boğaziçi University, 34342 Istanbul, TurkeyNational Center for Disease Control & Public Health, 0198 Tbilisi, GeorgiaNational Center for Disease Control & Public Health, 0198 Tbilisi, GeorgiaEcoHealth Alliance, New York, NY 10001, USAEcoHealth Alliance, New York, NY 10001, USABat research networks and viral surveillance are assumed to be at odds due to seemingly conflicting research priorities. Yet human threats that contribute to declines in bat populations globally also lead to increased transmission and spread of bat-associated viruses, which may pose a threat to global health and food security. In this review, we discuss the importance of and opportunities for multidisciplinary collaborations between bat research networks and infectious disease experts to tackle shared threats that jeopardize bat conservation as well as human and animal health. Moreover, we assess research effort on bats and bat-associated viruses globally, and demonstrate that Western Asia has limited published research and represents a gap for coordinated bat research. The lack of bat research in Western Asia severely limits our capacity to identify and mitigate region-specific threats to bat populations and detect interactions between bats and incidental hosts that promote virus spillover. We detail a regional initiative to establish the first bat research network in Western Asia (i.e., the Western Asia Bat Research Network, WAB-Net), with the aim of integrating ecological research on bats with virus surveillance to find “win-win” solutions that promote bat conservation and safeguard public and animal health across the region.http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/11/3/240ChiropteraconservationcoronavirusesMiddle EastzoonosesOne Health |
| spellingShingle | Kendra L. Phelps Luke Hamel Nisreen Alhmoud Shahzad Ali Rasit Bilgin Ketevan Sidamonidze Lela Urushadze William Karesh Kevin J. Olival Bat Research Networks and Viral Surveillance: Gaps and Opportunities in Western Asia Viruses Chiroptera conservation coronaviruses Middle East zoonoses One Health |
| title | Bat Research Networks and Viral Surveillance: Gaps and Opportunities in Western Asia |
| title_full | Bat Research Networks and Viral Surveillance: Gaps and Opportunities in Western Asia |
| title_fullStr | Bat Research Networks and Viral Surveillance: Gaps and Opportunities in Western Asia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bat Research Networks and Viral Surveillance: Gaps and Opportunities in Western Asia |
| title_short | Bat Research Networks and Viral Surveillance: Gaps and Opportunities in Western Asia |
| title_sort | bat research networks and viral surveillance gaps and opportunities in western asia |
| topic | Chiroptera conservation coronaviruses Middle East zoonoses One Health |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/11/3/240 |
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