Study investigates how to prevent viral spread from bat guano in Southeast Asia
Researchers in Thailand have detected genetic material related to coronaviruses in commercially sold bat guano fertilizers. While the findings do not confirm a direct risk to humans, they highlight potential biosafety gaps in agricultural supply chains.
Why it matters
Understanding how zoonotic viruses survive in environmental products is critical for preventing future pandemics as human-wildlife contact increases.
As humans encroach further into ecosystems, people and wildlife are brought into closer proximity. One potential consequence is an increased risk of pathogens jumping from animals to humans, prompting researchers to explore the dynamics of how viruses circulate in nature and how best to prevent the risk of this transmission.
New research from Thailand identified genetic material belonging to Betacoronaviruses , a genus of viruses that includes the strains responsible for Covid-19, SARS and MERS, within commercially available agricultural products, raising concerns over a general lack of safety protocols to protect harvesters and handlers from exposure.
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