COVID-19 drives new threat to bats in China
Huabin Zhao
Abstract
In China, bats are traditionally symbols of good luck and happiness (1). There are more than 1400 species of bats worldwide, but more than half of them have unknown or decreasing population trends (2). Unfortunately, the suggestion that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may have originated in bats (3) is putting them at increased risk.
Topics & Concepts
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)2019-20 coronavirus outbreakLuckSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)ChinaCoronavirusCoronavirus InfectionsPopulationBiologyGeographyZoologyDiseaseVirologyEnvironmental healthOutbreakInfectious disease (medical specialty)MedicineArchaeologyPhilosophyTheologyPathologyBat Biology and Ecology StudiesZoonotic diseases and public healthHuman-Animal Interaction Studies