Bat consumption in Thailand

Abstract

BackgroundHuman consumption of bats poses an increasing public health threat globally. Communities in which bat guano is mined from caves have extensive exposure to bat excreta, often harvest bats for consumption, and are at risk for bat-borne diseases.MethodsThis rapid ethnographic study was conducted in four provinces of Thailand (Ratchaburi, Sakaeo, Nakorn Sawan, and Phitsanulok), where bat guano was mined and sold during the period April–August 2014. The aim of this study was to understand behaviors and risk perceptions associated with bat conservation, exposure to bats and their excreta, and bat consumption. Sixty-seven respondents playing various roles in bat guano mining, packaging, sale, and use as fertilizer participated in the study. Data were collected through interviews and/or focus group discussions.ResultsIn spite of a bat conservation program dating back to the 1980s, the benefits of conserving bats and the risks associated with bat consumption were not clear and infrequently articulated by study respondents.DiscussionSince bat consumption continues, albeit covertly, the risk of bat-borne diseases remains high. There is an opportunity to reduce the risk of bat-borne diseases in guano-mining communities by strengthening bat conservation efforts and raising awareness of the health risks of bat consumption. Further research is suggested to test behavior change strategies for reducing bat consumption.

Risk factors for bat contact and consumption behaviors in Thailand; a quantitative study

“…A questionnaire was designed to collect information on bat contact and bat consumption behaviors. This questionnaire was modified from previous reports [10,23,24]. The questionnaire interview was administered to collect information on sociodemographic factors, knowledge, attitudes, practices and perceptions for bat contact and bat consumption behaviors.…”

“…Independent variables (n = 23) were included in the analysis. The variables were based on previous relevant studies [10,[25][26][27][28][29]. The independent variables, including the sociodemographic information, knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perceptions were as follows: -Humans can get diseases from bats (true vs false) -There are no concerns about getting diseases from bats (true vs false) -Bats can transmit diseases to humans (true vs false) -Bats are economically beneficial to the community (agree vs disagree) -One can contract diseases if exposed to bats (true vs false) -One can contract diseases by drinking water from the same places as bats (true vs false) -One can contract diseases by eating fruits left by bats (true vs false) -Bat guano is safe to use (true vs false) -It is safe to eat bats (true vs false) -There are laws related to hunting bats for consumption (true vs false) -Children are allowed to play with bats (true vs false) -Dead bats that are found are brought home for food (true vs false) -One feels safe in areas where bats live (true vs false)…”

“…The human and wildlife interface has been a global concern in the past decade due to several zoonotic disease outbreaks related to wildlife contact. Pathogen transmission may occur through several routes, e.g., inhalation [1]; bites [2][3][4]; scratches [5]; hunting [6][7][8][9]; guano use as fertilizer [10]; food consumption [6,11,12]; handling, slaughtering and butchering; drinking water or food contaminated with saliva or feces [13]; and possible human-to-human transmission.…”

“…For example, previous studies in Asia, and North America reported that sex [6], occupation [4], and locations of bat habitats [6] influence human-bat interactions. Bats play a cultural role in Thailand including medicinal, religious, and culinary [10]. A better understanding of human-bat interactions is critical to understanding zoonotic disease spillover and has been insufficiently studied [20].…”

Detection of Emerging Zoonotic Pathogens: An Integrated One Health Approach

“…However, despite the importance of domesticated and wild animal interactions in zoonotic disease emergence, a key driver of emerging zoonoses remains direct human contact with wildlife, their by-products (e.g., guano), and their meat for consumption (19,52,53). The intensification of wild animal meat hunting in the so-called bushmeat trade is driven by human taste preferences and allows for the direct contact of susceptible humans with animal reservoirs of a tremendous diversity of potential pathogens (53)(54)(55)(56). In 2005, Wolfe et al (46) reported that an estimated 4.5 million tons of bushmeat are harvested in the Congo basin alone.…”