Guest guest Posted December 30, 2002 Report Share Posted December 30, 2002 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 Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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