Bats, too often, get a bum rap. They’re the bloodsucking supernatural villains of Bram Stoker fame. They’re the familiar figure of speech to imply insanity(acting batty, bats in your belfry, batshit crazy). They’re dirty, winged rodents of the night sky. Never mind that most species eat insects, sport some serious social intelligence and communication skills, groom their fur with the diligence of a housecat, and are probably no more closely related to rats than we are.
But perhaps the most pervasive misconception about bats is the one linking them to deadly diseases. Disease transmission from bats to humans is exceedingly rare. In fact, the possibility was not even recognized in the U.S. till 1953, when the first rabid bat was found. The discovery quickly made sensational news headlines and big profits for rabies and pest control industries. In perspective, fewer humans have died of batborne diseases, worldwide, in the past 20 years than die annually in the U.S. alone from antibiotic-resistant infections.
Yet sensational scare stories continue to dominate news about bats. For example, a February report on NPR, “Why Killer Viruses Are On The Rise,” portrays bats as “arguably one of the most dangerous animals in the world” and warns that “when there are bats up in the sky, there could be Ebola in that poop that lands on your shoulder.” Sounds terrifying.
Read more at Slate
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