Preventing the next pandemic

Preventing the next pandemic

Dr Kendra Phelps stars in Virus Hunters, a National Geographic documentary about an effort to catalogue all the deadly viruses and bacteria present on the planet

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Preventing the next pandemic
Virus hunter Kendra Phelps takes bat samples at a research table outside a cave. (Photo: National Geographic/Daniel Hollis)

A lot of effort has been made by people around the world to find ways to stop the current pandemic from impacting the planet. Since Covid-19 is a viral illness, it knows nothing about man-made borders as it leaves doctors and frontline healthcare workers scrambling to contain it. Yet, there's another front in this fight; infectious diseases researchers, also known as virus hunters, who are trying to find viruses before they find us. One such person is American scientist Dr Kendra Phelps, a field researcher and ecologist who stars in an upcoming National Geographic documentary titled Virus Hunters which is set to premiere in Thailand tomorrow.

Produced by ABC News' Lincoln Square Productions, Virus Hunters highlights the work of Dr Phelps and other frontline researchers such as Harvard ecologist and epidemiologist Chris Golden; disease and wildlife interventionist Jim Desmond; US Department of Defense researcher Rohit Chitale; virus gene tracker Supaporn Wacharaplusadee and many others who travel to virus hotspots around the world such as Liberia, Turkey, the US Midwest and Southeast Asia.

In each location, the researchers try to categorise novel pathogenic bacteria and viruses found within the wildlife population that could potentially make the jump to humans, as well as try to understand more about human health and the behavioural impact of environmental change. Virus Hunters is also a companion piece for a special issue of National Geographic magazine released in mid-October devoted to Covid-19.

Life recently had the opportunity to talk with Dr Phelps, an expert in cave-dwelling bats, the species considered to be the probable source of the novel coronavirus. She has visited places in very remote areas around the world from Turkey to Thailand with proactive disease monitoring programmes to characterise novel viruses and pathogens within bat populations.

Dr Kendra Phelps. (Photos © National Geographic)

Can you tell us a bit about your background, your work, your research and how you became involved with this documentary from the first place?

I've been studying and conducting field-based research regarding bat health and conservation for almost 20 years now. However, in the past five years, I've been especially interested in how human interaction or disturbances impacts bat colonies and how that may drive transmission of viruses into human populations. I come from more of a conservation background, so I really wanted to understand what role bats play in the cause and spread of pandemics as well as what we can do to prevent retaliation against bats, so that we can conserve their populations. Ultimately, it's not the bats' fault but instead human actions and the manner in which we interact with the environment and wildlife that drives these transmission events. So I came to this project from the aspect of wanting to protect bats from people.

What are some of the main focuses in Virus Hunters because from what I understand, this documentary is not really about finding a vaccine or trying to stop the ongoing pandemic, but is instead about how to prevent a deadly virus from taking shape in the future.

Kendra Phelps holds a bat in her hands as she takes samples with her EcoHealth Alliance team of virus hunters. (Photo: Daniel Hollis)

Recently, we've been really reactive in how we respond to pandemics. We let them happen and then try to stop it. However, a better approach is to be proactive and catalogue what viruses are out there as well as the wildlife and livestock they occur in. There are an estimated 1.7 billion undiscovered viruses in the world and not just in bats only. Furthermore, according to estimates, about half-a-million of these viruses could potentially be pathogenic. The documentary really shows boots on the ground work that is taking place that is overlooked or underappreciated. If we don't collect samples or send them to the lab for screening, then we know nothing about how to prevent a future pandemic. So, the fight really starts with those people who go out at night and collect samples of unknown viruses.

In the documentary, you're in Turkey looking for the origins of different types of virus. Can you share with us a little more about your research with the cave bats there?

These proactive disease monitoring programmes have been interesting. My organisation EcoHealth Alliance has documented hundreds of new coronaviruses and bats and other wildlife species. We're trying to narrow down which ones may be pathogenic to humans. Therefore, we want to know which species are in existence and how people may encounter them in order to prevent the two from meeting.

Bushmeat can create a risk of viral transmission from animals to humans. (Photo: Daniel Hollis)

Could you explain what is it about bats that makes them such extraordinary carriers of viruses that leap species? Also, is it true that the origins of Ebola, Mers, Sars and other different diseases seem to have a connection with bats?

Well, bats have several unique characteristics that make them ideal disease reservoirs. First, there is a lot of diversity in bats as there are over 1,400 species spread across almost every continent. Second, they have the ability to fly -- the only flying mammals on the planet. Third, they often tend to roost in large aggregations and some species don't mind sharing space with humans. Some of these characteristics make them unique disease reservoirs, and let's not forget their unique immune system which has helped them tolerate or even resist viruses that have devastating effects on humans after transmission occurs. With that said, we haven't really 100% confirmed that bats were the original hosts for Ebola. In fact, people are still looking for a definitive answer some 50 plus years later. There's still a lot to learn about how bats tolerate pathogens. We've gained a lot of medical knowledge that has saved lives so rather than thinking of bats as diseased-ridden beasts, we should view them as intriguing and understand how they are able to cope with what our immune system can't handle and how they can cause a pandemic that has killed over a million people.

Can you tell us more about your travels, particularly in Asia? Is there anything that surprised you during your travels?

Oh gosh, I've travelled to a lot of places in Asia. I've actually been to Thailand multiple times. Thailand has the world's smallest bat, called bumblebee bats, and it's unique because it is only found in Thailand. These bats are living in the caves along the River Kwai and in Sai Yok National Park. Its body is literally the size of your thumbnail. I've done a lot of work in Southeast Asia, Western Asia and Africa. What I have found is that people in this region think of bats very differently. Some cultures see bats as good luck, like the Chinese, while others see them as evil spirits or bad omens that should be eliminated. How people interact with bats boils down to how their beliefs and cultural beliefs about bats differ around the world.

A bat flies into a harp trap set up by EcoHealth Alliance. (Photo: Daniel Hollis)

As you mentioned earlier, it's not the fault of bats. What are some human actions regarding how we interact with the environment and wildlife that causes transmission of diseases?

I think it's a combination of a lot of different factors. One of the most dangerous interactions we have with wildlife is hunting, killing, butchering and storing the meat. Even before the meat is butchered, the trade of bushmeat means viruses can transmit to other species. We're putting stress on wildlife and it is reducing their immune response, making them shed more viruses, which poses a risk for us. Also, other dangers include people who work with cave bats and harvest guano and bat faeces to detect coronaviruses. Often, this is done without wearing a mask or gloves. In fact, sometimes you will see people in sandals collect guano. I think that is a very dangerous activity.

As a scientist, how do you see this current pandemic playing out over the next several years?

I can tell you what I hope for. I hope that we learn from this and that we learn to better interact with the environment and realise not to separate the environment and wildlife. We are all interconnected. If we don't respect the environment, we don't respect wildlife either, which is asking for trouble. So I hope we learn the lessons from this pandemic and previous pandemics that have taken place over the past 100 years. We've had six major pandemics, most of which have come from animals. So far, we're learning slowly but surely.

We're grateful that scientists are doing their best to help prevent the next virus, but what can we as individuals to help reduce the dangers?

Well, I would say that in Southeast Asia in particular, there must be a push to ban the trade and consumption of wildlife meat. It's often advertised as exotic meat and tourists often seek out this adventure of trying different things. We need to enact laws -- not just on paper -- and enforce them to protect wildlife and their habitats. As an individual consumer, we need to think about where our food came from. This also extends to the things we purchase. For example, palm oil is very controversial in Southeast Asia because it led to the deforestation of natural forests so that plantations could be set up, but that did not help the wildlife. So, we saw a mass extinction of species and the degradation of the environment like that contributes to an increasing number of public health emergencies. So, definitely think about how your choices as an individual could affect how we interact with wildlife or put humans at risk.

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