In a captivating study from Uganda’s forests, researchers unveil a startling discovery: animals indulging in bat guano, laden with a cocktail of viruses, following the depletion of their natural food sources due to tobacco farming.

The study, conducted jointly by the University of Stirling and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, reveals a complex web of interactions as chimpanzees, antelopes, and monkeys turn to guano as an “alternative source of crucial minerals” after the extinction of their palm tree food supply, once vital but now sacrificed for tobacco farming.

Initiated by Dr. Pawel Fedurek from the University of Stirling, the research sheds light on wildlife behavior in the Budongo forest, where cameras captured various species dining on accumulated bat excrement. Lab analysis of the guano unveils a startling revelation: 27 viruses, including one related to SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind the Covid-19 pandemic.

While the transmission risk to humans remains uncertain, Prof Tony Goldberg of the University of Wisconsin-Madison underscores the significance of this finding, with all 27 viruses being previously unknown to science. Dr. Fedurek emphasizes the broader implications, highlighting how selective deforestation driven by global tobacco demand can elevate virus spillover risk, ultimately impacting wildlife and humans alike.

This research not only offers insight into virus transmission pathways but also underscores the urgent need for intervention strategies to prevent future pandemics, marking a crucial step in our understanding of wildlife-to-human virus transmission dynamics.