ABSTRACT
Bats, probably the most abundant, diverse and geographically dispersed vertebrates on earth, have recently been shown to be the reservoir hosts of a number of emerging viruses responsible for severe human and livestock disease outbreaks. Flying foxes have been demonstrated to be the natural reservoir for Hendra and Nipah viruses. Evidence supporting the possibility of bats as potential reservoirs for SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Ebola virus has also been reported. The recent discovery of these viruses and other viruses occurring naturally in the bat population provides a unique insight into a diverse pool of potentially emergent and pathogenic viruses. The factors which influence the ability of zoonotic viruses to effectively cross the species barrier from bats to other animal populations are poorly understood. A brief review is provided here on the recently emerged bat viruses and on current and future strategies for research in this area.
ABSTRACT
Freshwater crabs (Sinopotamon denticulatum) were examined for metacercariae. Cats and dogs were also examined for Paragonimus infection. Questionnairing was carried out on health knowledge and behaviors among local residents in a village of Baokang County, Hubei Province. Results showed that the infection rate of Paragonimus skrjabini metacercariae in Sinopotamon denticulatum was 20.5% (46/214), with 15.6% (20/128) in a mining area and 30.2%(26/86) for the non-mining area respectively ( ?2=6.5, P0.05). Questionnairing showed that dogs and cats were with the habit of foraging and defecating at streams and children had the habits of eating raw or under-cooked crabs. The natural and ecological environments are in favor of the life cycle of P. skrjabini.