Thai YouTuber eats bats on camera, arrested; know the dangers of eating the flying mammals | CPT PPP Coverage

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The arrest came after the outrage concerning the risk of new pandemic viruses being transmitted to humans.

The Lesser Asiatic yellow bats, which Phonchanok was reportedly consuming are a protected species in Thailand. Authorities said she was held for possession of protected wildlife carcasses, and for violating the computer-Related Crimes Act of 2007 by uploading the clip. If convicted, she faces up to five years behind bars.

Dangers of bats for humans

These circumstances have changed their interactions with humans and also changed their viruses.

According to Healthline, bats are known to spread various diseases, a few of which include:

Rabies

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says rabies can spread to people from bats after minor, seemingly unimportant, or unrecognized bites or scratches. Bat bites can be very small so a person might not always know when they have been bitten by a bat.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)

SARS was the first pandemic transmissible disease of the 20th century. Across the world, epidemiologic investigations suggested an animal origin for SARS-CoV. Virological and serological studies indicated that bats in the genus Rhinolophus have been identified as natural reservoirs of SARS-like coronaviruses.

In 2002, in one of the deadliest SARS outbreaks, at least 700 people were killed and 8000 had fallen sick in less than a year. The infection, which spread to 33 countries was thereafter contained after it originated from a bat species in the south of China.

Middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS)

Another offshoot of SARS, MERS is equally dangerous and spreads due to droplets from bats that are transmitted through air contact with humans.

Ebola

According to the World Health Organisation, more than half of all outbreaks of Ebola, the deadliest variety of Ebola virus, have occurred in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In May this year, the authorities in the African nation had notified of a new outbreak of the virus, with 37 suspected cases in seven villages so far, and several deaths.

Common symptoms of bat-related illnesses

The common symptoms of various bat-related illnesses are very similar to common flu; however, the later signs may include:

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.