How bats carry deadly diseases without dying

Bats don’t just host deadly diseases - they can tolerate them shockingly well.
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Bats get a bad rap in all forms of media - and it’s not entirely unwarranted. Whenever they hit the news, it’s typically paired with some deadly disease that they’ve somehow unleashed on humans: from Ebola to Hendra virus to Nipah virus to various coronaviruses such as SARS, MERS, and even Covid-19. Bats are just really good at hosting deadly diseases, so much so that researchers around the globe from Brazil to Australia to China are searching bat genomes for clues about the next potential outbreak.
But there’s another angle to consider.
Bats aren’t just very good at hosting deadly diseases. They seem to tolerate them very well. After all, we’re not finding caves full of dead bats that were struck down by Ebola or coronavirus. Exactly how they do this has been a mystery, but researchers think it might be because they evolved with a unique ability - they’re the only mammals who can fly.
When we stop looking at bats as simply reservoirs of deadly disease and start to look at them as the biological marvels they are, new doors open. Ones that could potentially unlock new approaches to how we treat disease in humans.
FURTHER READING (a lot of it…)
A link to Cara Brook’s lab if you’d like to follow up on her research: brooklab.org/cara-brook
This piece is written as a primer to help people better understand how incredible these animals are and what we stand to lose if they’re gone. Here are a few links about bat conservation and white-nose syndrome:
www.batcon.org/
www.nps.gov/articles/what-is-...
For more about bats and finding the next pandemic (and why habitat destruction makes these outbreaks more likely):
www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/fiv...
www.reuters.com/investigates/...
www.scientificamerican.com/ar...
www.pbs.org/newshour/science/...
www.scientificamerican.com/ar...
www.propublica.org/article/au...
While we were working on this piece, the Atlantic released a great article about how bats can help fight aging you can find that here: www.theatlantic.com/health/ar...
And for more on how studying bats can help us treat diseases from viruses to cancer:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.unmc.edu/healthsecurity/t...
www.nature.com/articles/s4158...
www.eurekalert.org/news-relea...
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[@Vox]

There’s so much more to talk about here! Definitely feel free to sound off in the comments about your love for bats and head to the description for a PILE of links to fascinating studies and articles that offer a deeper dive on some of the specifics. The jury is still out on whether bats carry more diseases than other mammals or if there are just many species of bats. There are around 1,400 types of bats in the world - that’s about 20% of ALL mammalian diversity. A paper published in 2021 found that the amount of viruses that bats carry is proportional to the diverse range of species: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7909788/. Thanks for watching! -Kim

[@DavidLimofLimReport]

Coming up next on Vox: why bats could be the next masters of the earth in 1 million years.

[@Brutus7350]

why are you so ideological?

[@ak9989]

TO THE SNOOTY TRIM YOUR BUSHY EYEBROWS NITWIT 112 FAHRENHEIT!!

[@TheCambias]

I’m in love with Ms Kim first time seeing her hellooooooooooo Kim ❤

[@Sharonmxg]

without bats, the insect population would be out of control.

[@eugeneslim9108]

are they the more weighty factor than birds?

[@iansteelmatheson]

@@eugeneslim9108 probably depends on the region. also, they tend to operate at different times of day, so their prey is pretty different.

[@AsiniusNaso]

Bats have also been a long-time worry for pandemics because they can have millions of mammals living in close proximity, you know, like humans.

[@Sigma_Male_Anti_Female]

​@@Daydreamerr13 Chinese people did. Not them.

[@ScienceNerd1.1]

Humanity did by destroying their environment causing unnecessary contact with them …

[@LuSquared_]

And bats sadly refuse to wear maks and social distance

[@LPSWeirdCow13]

​@@Sigma_Male_Anti_FemalePeople in China*

[@aircraftsupport5800]

@@LPSWeirdCow13 Approximately the same thing

[@awellculturedmanofanime1246]

Bats are endangered in many places even though they are extremely valuable because of habitat loss and disruption of thei ecosystem

[@cliq379]

The way you phrased it, it sounds like they are valuable because they disrupt ecosystems and cause habitat loss.

[@MrrrAdryan]

​@@cliq379Lol

[@JayToGo]

So there are very good reasons for admiring those weird creatures.

[@terramater]

So interesting! Bats are really survivors! Our crew got on camera a bat that lives literally inside a carnivorous plant, and it's all good! So fascinating

[@brandonclark8395]

Cool

[@kristianprigl7895]

So my understanding of bats is now that they are the best in everything

[@kalexambing2507]

3:02 Vampires and Bats now make a lot of sense together

[@paulwary]

What about the mere fact of raising their temperature to 44 C when flying? Wouldn't that eliminate a lot of virus load by itself?

[@anhbindo]

I think so , even if the virus still alive its only choice now would be remain in dormant state and waiting for the environment becomes better ( probably during times when the bat hibernate maybe? )

[@D0ubleSwipe]

I hate how the media portrays bats as some kind of flesh eating monster, I mean, these ain’t nothing but some Bird puppies

[@lifeoflycan2037]

I genuinely enjoyed this video. Thank you Kim, and everyone else involved in this episode. Much respect to you all ❤.

[@boy638]

No wonder Batman never takes a sick leave to stop crime.

[@aqeel-3771]

Eagles love bats but we need to test their immune system and see how they can fight off bat disease.

[@rudolf895]

Stomach full of acid. No thanks

[@aishwaryadavid7565]

I think that could be due to the fact that eagles are not mammals unlike bats. The same reason why humans and other mammals can easily get diseases from bats like rabies, ebola etc

[@savagepro9060]

Vox: How bats carry deadly diseases without dying? Viruses: we can't 'stand' hanging upside down!

[@BabyKobeeee]

Dad? Is that you?

[@savagepro9060]

@@BabyKobeeee Yep! I'm with your mom, we were trying the Bat Position. Put the lights back off, get out, and close the door!

[@monacoofthebluepacific2571]

I tend to think of the bats around my house as friendly because they eat the pesky (also dangerous) mosquitos .

[@shatterthemirror8563]

Human: "You're so lucky you don't have to worry about diseases, bat. " Bat: "Have you seen my morning workout bro?"

[@b.n9076]

I watch so much VOX ever since I found out when I was in middle school. Around like 13 now I’m 18 this is definitely my childhood haha. I really hope one day I get to be featured in some type microbiology video when I’m older :)

[@thatjasonr]

Why did, "bats are the only flying mammals" blow my mind 😅 Enjoyed this one!

[@Mercenaryow]

This sidenote hit me more than the story itself 😂😂😂

[@kayosensei]

Its to dramatic to me

[@elliecandle773]

Aren’t birds mammals though?

[@David-bh1rn]

​@@elliecandle773they lay eggs. Mammals give birth to live young.

[@jackrussell1932]

This is a fantastic and informative take, love it. Thank you for the work you do!

[@RoboticDragon]

There was a disease in Canada a year or two back wiping out bats in the east and moving westward. I havent heard about it since, but I hope they figured it out and managed to save these little guys.

[@mauricemusician7636]

Cave fungus. Bats are going through a Last of Us crisis.

[@nederlanditisnederlanditis5529]

Chapeau. Most informative. One of the best for some time.

[@napoleonibonaparte7198]

Bats: "Their entire existence as a flying mammal is an extreme stressor." And humans' existence as a mamma; is also an extreme stressor.

[@edem7087]

Fantastic piece! Satisfies some questions I've always had on bats!

[@WilliamHunterII]

Absolutely fascinating. I had no idea. Thanks for that, Kim.

[@ktburger659]

I’ve wondered about this since that Ebola outbreak about a decade ago… great video

[@dryzalizer]

Nice video, I seem to recall a SciShow video about this topic a few years ago but yours took some different and interesting angles.

[@klloydplata4098]

Batman is NOT a vampire while Morbius is a vampire. Morbius is a Doctor while Batman NEVER even a doctor. There you go, there is the differences.

[@TheVivlia]

Wow, never knew that bat can live up to 30 years 🤯🤯

[@YoungGandalf2325]

Getting plenty of exercise could help you to live longer and avoid infectious diseases. Seems reasonable.

[@isabella3746]

Researcher: Bat physiology is resistant to aging. Me: Dracula is based on facts?

[@omrai8294]

Loving this new initiative of vox

[@martismarty1566]

💖

[@smilebot484]

absolutely fascinating

[@pourdamghani]

Great work 👌

[@TheOneWhoKnocks70]

"Deep within the heart of every bat lies a raging fire, ready to consume and destroy the entire city if provoked." -Batman

[@ZIN74FF]

Y'know why batman never covered his mouth? yeah, he was foreshadowing upcoming disasters as well as flexing his immunity.

[@Ou8y2k2]

@@ZIN74FF He was spreading COVID due to his alliance with the Joker.

[@ycp4425]

Ive been asking myself this question for the longest time

[@woltews]

I feel like there are 2 things not explained at all 1- what dos the metabolic output of flight have to do with response to a virus ( there are all kinds of stressors animals have why is flight so similar to a viral infection ) ? 2- How do bats blunt the effects of the body's response to infection without that also making the response ineffective in the first place ?

[@north6502]

I bet it has to do with their body temperature during flight, 44 is very high for a human fever, but in a bat it’d be normal

[@mikeyjhilli]

Agreed.

[@woltews]

@@north6502 looked up what it was for a squirrel and it seems to average around 40C depending on a bunch of factors so within 4 of the bat , also the bat spends most of its time not flying

[@alexgriffin1726]

Great content. More science! Wr all benefit from knowledge.

[@NovelNovelist]

I've never thought of tequila as a fluffy flying mammal with lots to offer, but...valid.

[@yourdaily_memer]

they need to start showing these vids in schools

[@forgotten1s]

This has been a burning question of mine forevwr

[@drjoriv]

2:48 So they are true vampires 🧛‍♂️

[@AJRfriskYTC]

It’s absolutely right to say there is so much to cover in this, the reality is we still just don’t know what allows bats to be so tolerant carriers. One thing for sure is that it’s a multitude of things not mentioned here

[@PerceptionVsReality333]

I've wondered about this before.

[@malikcarter9804]

Vox is great 🥰

[@dalecooper1114]

Pretty interesting video. Can you find other mammals that have adapted to such different evolutionary pressures and have long life features? The background sound tracks are, sorry, but very distracting in my opinion and also don't theme well.

[@sebastianguerrero6617]

I mean there's a superhero called batman for a reason, they're literally built different

[@mikeyjhilli]

Kirk Langstrom aka Man-Bat has entered the chat.

[@LightBlueVans]

MORE BAT CONTENT PLEASE

[@Hansulf]

We just covered this topic in my virology master!

[@realtalk6195]

Kim Mas: Who are you? Cara Brook: I'm you but from the future. 👁👄👁

[@purple-anthem]

Bats are the number one predator of night-time flying insects, like mosquitoes!

[@hernawanrahmadi1545]

@ 3:03 Wow, so it is true that vampire is the longest-living mammals

[@norbertnagy4468]

I would use it as a beginner, to continue my jurney i started during this latest free flight

[@deleted-something]

Pretty interesting question

[@inscrutablemungus4143]

Bats can resist ageing. They are actual vampires.

[@capio78]

Bats: not our fault your immune systems are so weak.

[@magdalenag2450]

that is fantastic material, you can do the same and show to public how the immune escape works in sars cov19 in humans and how they been used as a bio weapon carriers

[@United_Wings]

Coz their build different

[@Pictoru2]

Excellent video! Bats are such incredible creatures, and by the looks of it we made them sick to begin with, so we only have ourselves to blame. ❤ 🦇

[@tjemilua3724]

The aging thing explains vampires to me😂

[@Koudey]

Oh yeah, just the video I need

[@Zhuk-zc8es]

The graph at 2:55 probably shows body mass as hundreds of grams, instead of just grams, those rodents would have to be absolutely tiny.

[@leo_nidas]

Bob Kane knew this!!!

[@maxhill9254]

thank you

[@FairMiles]

Nice to meet your older sister!

[@HreForTheMusic]

Another way of looking at this topic is, a virus that can surive a bat body temp cannot be harmed by human fever (one of the main purposes of fever is to do that). So our response is not nearly as affective, making those viruses dangerous than one that came from another mamal.

[@clementcollier8432]

Interesting video. I love bats, they are so cool, just ask Batman !

[@budisoemantri2303]

First time I heard someone using centigrade term, I'm not from English speaking country btw

[@woodslayer]

that’s why batman so strong, without daddy money

[@gurunext]

The title was meant to be "How Batman delivers decisive justice without dying?" 🦇🏏

[@arscire]

I want to be able to turn into bats.

[@Fargerich_]

Kim if you ever see this I love your videos

[@waterunder3718]

They started tag and are the original taggers

[@gergelysoki1705]

A switch that goes 'crickcrickcrickcrick' isnt a switch.

[@sithlordbilly4206]

0:05 Ozzy Osbourne what agree with them being super weird. Especially when you bite there heads off! 😅

[@minnaroseahlers2758]

Bats are super survivors.

[@samajier2566]

Very nice video

[@five-toedslothbear4051]

2:56 is there something wrong with the X axis here? I find it hard to believe that there are mammals that weigh under 2 g. I mean I had a hamster, and I kept track of her weight, and she was between 120 and 130 g, she was nowhere near the size of a fruit bat.

[@1992miguel1992]

Nice catch. In the mentioned research paper, it is actually log body mass in grams, which makes sense.

[@letshelagaju419]

So don't stress bats, got it.

[@ninjasaurusrexatron]

i knew it, i knew morbius was a documentary

[@ZeacorZeppelin]

This must drive people batty

[@ShahWirana-bq9hv]

Now we know why Superman got sick.

[@dog13fish]

Here we go again

[@sidehop]

If Chuck Norris was a bat 🤔

[@almirjuan8562]

5:17 oh God Deadly 5:30

[@srushtiredij1729]

I would really like to see ”batman” one day

[@yeetmeyskeet5511]

Straight from science versus

[@Myn0o]

Me. Off to the caves, to find a disease ridden bat and extract the virus for scientific purposes of course. (totally not for bioweapons).

[@AznDudeIsOn]

so bats believe in the philosophy of The Iceman

[@turtlefarm8742]

If Its so inefficient to fly for them i wonder how they evolved it

[@thethirdcrouch]

we just need to learn to fly

[@GyanPrakash]

A dealer never consumes 😊

[@Re1ampag0]

Batman choose wisely

[@joshuaashioya9821]

I would've preferred if Kim just narrated, those cut scenes kept throwing me off

[@Mr.unkoun]

Bars are litearally rats with wings😭😭

[@BizzarBlitz]

Misread the title as “How to carry diseases without dying”. Looks like the retirement home lives another day…

[@mikesmicroworlds4566]

I never get sick, like ever. I am BatGuy

[@eb.3764]

bats eat all the mosquitos that we hate

[@mha1143]

Explains why Batman never dies 😂

[@fritsfmn]

Longer video vox ..

[@capio78]

Don't blame the bats for the experiments of men in labs