Human-Bat Interactions in Rural West Africa

Abstract

Because some bats host viruses with zoonotic potential, we investigated human-bat interactions in rural Ghana during 2011-2012. Nearly half (46.6%) of respondents regularly visited bat caves; 37.4% had been bitten, scratched, or exposed to bat urine; and 45.6% ate bat meat. Human-bat interactions in rural Ghana are frequent and diverse.

Keywords: Ebola; MERS; Middle East respiratory syndrome; Nipah; SARS; West Africa; bats; severe acute respiratory syndrome; virus reservoir; viruses; zoonoses.

Figure 1

Human–bat interaction study locations and provinces within Ghana, 2011–2012. Asterisks indicate the study sites, Kwamang, Forikrom, and Buoyem. Red circles indicate sources of bush meat. The main Techiman market is situated in the Techiman municipality (blue circle); this market is ≈15 km from Buoyem and is the largest and most economically active market in the Brong Ahafo region. Accra and Kumasi, the largest cities in Ghana, also receive supplies of bat meat from the Techiman market.

Figure 2

Typical situations in which direct and indirect bat–human contact occurred in Ghana, 2011–2012. A) Religious activity at the Mprisi cave in Buoyem. The man is pouring libation to the natural gods. The liquid poured before entering the cave is liquor. Note the number of deposited empty bottles, indicating the frequency of cave entries. B) Goat sacrificed for natural gods at the Mframmabuom cave in Kwamang. C, D) Typical examples of roasted bats widely offered and consumed in markets and public places in Ghana. Photographs provided by and published with permission from H. Baldwin.