Thailand has 23 species of horseshoe bats, but there has been no probe before. (Representation)
Bangkok:
Researchers in Thailand have started collecting horseshoe bat samples to test them for the presence of coronavirus, as they could pose a threat to local residents, a government statement said on Saturday.
They plan to collect 300 bats over three days in a cave in the province of Chanthaburi in the southeast of the country. Bats will be released after testing.
Thailand has 23 species of horseshoe bats, but there has been no survey before.
The source of the virus remains a subject of debate after it first appeared in China late last year.
In April, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that all the available evidence suggested that it came from bats in China, but it was not clear how the virus had crossed the species barrier. for humans.
The research team in Thailand includes Supaporn Wacharapluesadee, which identified the first case of COVID-19 in January.
“The reason we need to investigate the horseshoe bat is because there are reports in China that the COVID-19 virus is similar to the virus found in the horseshoe bat”, said Supaporn.
Thailand was the first country outside of China to register a virus case. It has so far reported 3,134 cases and 58 deaths.
Researchers from the National Parks Department, Chulalongkorn Hospital and Kasetsart University entered the cave on Thursday evening and reappeared Friday morning with samples of bat blood, saliva and feces.
Investigators feared that villagers in the area would be at risk of infection.
Locals are known to eat bats, said Supaporn, adding that adequate education and information programs were needed.
Local transmissions have decreased in recent weeks, with new cases coming from Thais returning from overseas.
(This story has not been edited by GalacticGaming staff and is automatically generated from a syndicated feed.)
