Disease exchange between bats and researchers: problems and precautions.

Abstract

Extensive surveys of bats have revealed that various species may experience infection by a variety of pathogenic micro-organisms. Of foremost interest to humans are rabies in American bats and histoplasmosis in bats or guano from various parts of the world. Recently, certain African and European bats have been found infected with rabies-like viruses against which rabies vaccine provides little if any protection. Bat researchers may inadvertently introduce microbial pathogens into bat populations. For example, spores of the fungus that causes histoplasmosis might be transferred between bat roosts in guano particles on boots. Pathogenic organisms could be exchanged between species that normally are geographically or ecologically separate when they are caged together. Human pathogens might be introduced into bat populations by infected investigators.