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Deforestation could mean less bats and more viruses

Bats have important roles in the ecosystems they inhabit. Sometimes, they also carry viruses. One study in the Atlantic Forest suggests anthropogenic land changes reduce bat diversity and lead to an increase of those carrying zoonotic pathogens.

Bats are the second largest order of mammals. Widely distributed, they serve important roles in the ecosystems they inhabit. Some are nocturnal pollinators, diving snout-first into flowers in search of nectar, while others feed from fruits, aiding their dispersal by releasing their seeds mid-flight on their way home. In some places, bats also help control insect populations.

These animals also suffer an ill reputation, being historically associated with infectious diseases – and due to the growing evidence highlighting the risk of spillover events to humans and animals. Bats have special immune systems that efficiently regulate their responses to viral infections, keeping them safe from excessive pathogenic responses. This means they don’t show clinical symptoms for most viruses, and this unique balance between defence and tolerance is part of what makes them good reservoir hosts.

In a recent study published in Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, Loh and her colleagues delved into the effects that deforestation has on the abundance and diversity of bats, and the viruses they host. The project was based at the Morro do Diabo State Park, a beautiful expanse of 338 km2 that contains the largest preserved area of Atlantic Forest in São Paulo (Brazil). The researchers went into the forest to sample for bats and their viruses in five ‘intact’ vs. three deforested sites (where >20% of the forest had been converted due to agriculture).