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http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/newse/20021230wo22.htm

 

Pet bats may carry deadly virus

Institution urges government to introduce quarantine

measures

 

Yomiuri Shimbun

 

More than 500 bats of four African species that may

carry the Lyssa virus, which produces symptoms similar

to rabies, were imported without being quarantined

over a period of less than two years, it was learned

Saturday.

 

It also was learned that the National Institute of

Infectious Diseases has asked the Health, Labor and

Welfare Ministry to take urgent action regarding the

matter, including imposing restrictions on importing

bats.

 

According to Tsuneo Kamiyama, a senior researcher at

the institute, the bats in question are the Egyptian

Rousette bat, Franquet's flying fox from the Congo

region, the Madagascar bat and the hammerhead bat.

 

In recent years, bats have become popular pets,

selling for 15,000 yen to 30,000 yen.

 

Kamiyama surveyed animal importers and found that 523

bats had been imported from January 2000 to October

2001. Of the total, 435 were Egyptian Rousettes, 48

Franquet's flying foxes, 25 Madagascar bats and 15

hammerheads.

 

The institute has not conducted tests to determine

whether the imported bats carry the virus.

 

Lyssa virus is a type of rabies virus. Humans bitten

or scratched by a bat carrying the virus become

infected. The virus paralyzes the nervous system,

making breathing difficult and causing death in many

cases. The only treatment is vaccination before

symptoms develop. The first reported death from the

virus was in 1997 in Ukraine.

 

Even though it has never been detected in Japan, Lyssa

virus has been found in Africa as well as Europe and

Australia. A pet dealer in Finland and a conservation

expert in Australia were reported to have been

infected with the virus.

 

In November, a man in Britain was infected with the

Lyssa virus, reportedly by a wild bat. The news

worried Britons that the infection might be the first

rabies outbreak in the country in 100 years.

 

In France in 1999, a bat imported as a pet was found

to be infected with Lyssa virus. The French government

vaccinated 120 people who might have had contact with

the bat and prohibited importing any kind of wild

animal.

 

Bats are believed to be responsible for transmitting

several viruses to humans, including the Nipah virus

found in Malaysia and believed to cause encephalitis,

and the Hendra virus found in Australia, which causes

respiratory problems and can result in death.

 

For this reason, Europe and the United States are

strict about importing bats.

 

In Japan, on the other hand, bats are exempt from

quarantine. Apart from livestock, the Rabies

Prevention Law requires a period of quarantine for

cats and dogs, and the Infectious Disease Prevention

Law requires the same for monkeys, but not bats.

 

The infectious diseases institute advised the

ministry, " Importing bats without enforcing quarantine

increases the chance of a new virus landing in the

nation. "

 

Kamiyama said: " Japan imports not only bats but also

most wild animals without quarantines. Under such

circumstances, I wouldn't be surprised if any sort of

new infectious disease comes to the nation. Rules such

as restrictions on imports are urgently needed. "

 

Copyright 2002 The Yomiuri Shimbun

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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