Groundbreaking research reveals Nipah virus, with a staggering 75% fatality rate is circulating in Sri Lankan bat colonies, posing a potential threat to human populations across the island.
A team of Sri Lankan scientists has made a alarming discovery, revealing that the deadly Nipah virus, responsible for numerous fatalities in India and Bangladesh, is actively circulating in bat colonies within Sri Lanka. This groundbreaking research represents the first comprehensive study of its kind in the country, utilizing advanced GPS collar technology to monitor bat movement patterns and assess potential viral transmission risks to human populations.
The significant research initiative is being conducted through a collaboration between the University of Colombo, the Ministry of Health, and Germany’s Robert Koch Institute, supported under the IDEAnet project framework. The project specifically focuses on identifying emerging infectious diseases within Sri Lankan wildlife and investigating unidentified illnesses in human patients.
The multidisciplinary research team includes distinguished virologists Professor Andreas Nitsche and Dr. Claudia Kohl, biodiversity conservation and bat ecology experts Professor Retired Vipula Yapa and Dr. Tharaka Kusuminda, along with Professor Nihal Premawansa, Professor Saminda Fernando, Chamara Amarasinghe, and Dr. Sahan Siriwardena contributing their specialized expertise.
The research has documented that fruit bats can travel remarkable distances, flying up to 60 kilometers in a single night, with some individuals covering over 200 kilometers continuously while visiting multiple bat colonies along their flight paths. Professor Inoka C. Perera, leading the University of Colombo research team, emphasized that understanding these movement patterns is crucial for predicting potential disease transmission routes.
Most significantly, the study has confirmed the presence of Nipah virus within Sri Lankan bat colonies. This pathogen has caused hundreds of fatalities in neighboring India and Bangladesh, with an alarming 75 percent mortality rate among infected humans. Dr. Sahan Siriwardena noted that the Nipah virus strain detected in Sri Lankan bats shows genetic similarity to the variant circulating in Kerala, India.
Despite these findings, Professor Andreas Nitsche, the renowned virologist leading the Robert Koch Institute’s contribution to the project, cautioned that while no human cases have been identified in Sri Lanka to date, this does not indicate absolute safety. The research continues to monitor the situation and assess potential risks to public health.
