Still Waters Posted March 7, 2012 #1 Share Posted March 7, 2012 A town in northern Australia has been invaded by more than 250,000 bats, prompting warnings of a potentially fatal disease related to rabies.The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) warned residents in Katherine to stay away from the fruit bats, which could carry the Australian Bat Lyssavirus. The disease can be transmitted to people if they are bitten or scratched. Authorities have closed down the main sports ground in the town 300 km south of Darwin in the Northern Territory. Read more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbie333 Posted March 7, 2012 #2 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I hope they can find a non-lethal way to help with this problem and maybe a way to vaccinate these wonderful creatures. Bats are a good thing. Pest control wizards. We are losing our bats here in the states due to disease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simbi Laveau Posted March 7, 2012 #3 Share Posted March 7, 2012 (edited) actually,thats a fallacy.Most bats do not carry rabies at all,and if i had to die,thats the way i would go .I love bats . http://www.batworld.org/ check out lil Drac.hes a star ! You can actually buy fruit bats for pets in japan .Theyre adorable ! Edited March 7, 2012 by missymoo999 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
highdesert50 Posted March 8, 2012 #4 Share Posted March 8, 2012 These are a large furred bat with impressive wing-spans and quite attractive as their facial features are very fox-like. I recall them aloft in the tops of breadfruit trees, but also as somewhat tame in that they cohabit the same areas as humans. Some cultures consider these bats a delicacy and others a pet. But, 250000 of these big guys is a lot ... perhaps some garlic might work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROGER Posted March 9, 2012 #5 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Another source says it's not that big a problem. [ "The virus is a close relative of the rabies virus and was first identified in Australia in 1996. Since then two people have died from it." ] From: http://www.health.nt.gov.au/Agency/News_Archive/Hands_off_bats_Health_Department_warns/indexdl_4507.aspx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psyche101 Posted March 9, 2012 #6 Share Posted March 9, 2012 (edited) Lyssavirus may not seem that big a problem with 2 dead, although it is pretty much rabies, it differs from rabies by only 8% and I am pretty sure that some are satisfied the woman caring for her bats dies of rabies. I do know that Fred Murphy, a world expert on viral diseases at the University of California, told New Scientist magazine that, as far as he is concerned, the woman died of rabies. We do not have rabies here, it would be devastating to see it introduced, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Megamyxovirus is another disease carried and distributed by bats. It has killed at least another two people and fourteen horses. Horses seem to be particularly susceptible to all of these bat borne diseases. Paramyxous virus is another virus that bats carry, it is a single s strand RNA virus, responsible for many human diseases Ross River fever - yet another with flu symptoms, lacking energy and joint pain. Bats can carry this as well as Mosquitos. Japanese encephalitis is also carried by Bats. Just the name of that one tells us how serious it is. The big one that scares the bejeebers out of me is the Hendra virus. Horses catch this quickly, and it is everywhere. Some instances a mere 5 K's from my own home. The Case fatality rate in humans is 60% and in horses 75%. I never heard of it until just a few years ago, now 32 incidents have been recorded at least. And sadly, one Dog has now succumbed to the virus as well as four humans. LINK - Catalyst on ABC about Hendra. The bats in question, at least the ones that I know of responsible for Hendra are Flying Foxes. We used to have a wild one living at my Fathers house in a Fig tree. I agree, beautiful creatures, but for goodness sakes, keep your distance. I do not really have a problem with culling them. We have billions of the things here. Near every place I have lived, a common sight at sunset is this And good lord, do they smell! If you wander into a nesting ground during the day, you will know about it! Edited March 9, 2012 by psyche101 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simbi Laveau Posted March 9, 2012 #7 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I heard something about bat poo being coveted.People go into bat caves and just collected the guano for big bucks. I have to look it up ,as I forget why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnockoutMouse Posted March 9, 2012 #8 Share Posted March 9, 2012 Kids gotta eat. Now... What have learned about waking the dead? Glorious convicts! I salute you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justcalmebubba Posted March 9, 2012 #9 Share Posted March 9, 2012 damn shame its not the same town with all the spiders or is it maybe nature cleaning up after it self? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psyche101 Posted March 14, 2012 #10 Share Posted March 14, 2012 I heard something about bat poo being coveted.People go into bat caves and just collected the guano for big bucks. I have to look it up ,as I forget why. For fertiliser, it is nitrogen rich - LINK Bat Cave mine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UniqueWolf Posted March 27, 2012 #11 Share Posted March 27, 2012 More vampires? (Joshing!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eldorado Posted March 28, 2012 #12 Share Posted March 28, 2012 Same thing happens every year Batman leaves the Bat Cave for summer vacation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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