Bats are unique when it comes to mammallian viral reservoirs, due to being the only flying mammals.

IIRC their immune system evolved to essentially tolerate foreign/damaged DNA because the heat caused by their flight would regularly damage cells. So viruses can basically move in and make themselves comfortable.

I hope this doesn't come across as inhumane, but hypothetically what would be the bio-diversity/eco-system impact of simply exterminating or at least curbing these huge bat colonies.

I mean technically we already have a precedent with trying to stop mosquito reproduction to curb malaria and other mosquito transmitted diseases.

I understand that from a virology standpoint there is a lot to learn from bats and that they have an insanely robust immune system but is it really reasonable to allow these colonies to thrive unchecked with thousands of bats tightly packed together? It's just that it seems the most recent threats Ebola, MERS, SARS-Cov1, now SARS-Cov2, all seem to have had a bat colony as it's genetic origin.

Good question! – I am unknowing but I think we would have a great many insects to deal with. Mosquitoes among them!

This comment helped me to think to find out – thank you – and indeed: https://www.batswithoutborders.org/role-of-bats-in-our-ecosy...

I see it such that we must learn from bats. And nature. And learn to collaborate better among ourselves.

Another interesting question is, what if we could wipe out all viruses? What would go wrong? I suspect that we know relatively little about the systemic role of viruses in the biosphere. It's imaginable that they play a pervasive role in the gradual transformation of the world's genetic code.

If the hygiene hypothesis is correct, we’d have a lot more allergies.

In Western countries, certain species of animals are regularly culled because of infections they spread to livestock.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/07/badger-c...

> I hope this doesn't come across as inhumane, but hypothetically what would be the bio-diversity/eco-system impact of simply exterminating or at least curbing these huge bat colonies.

If you rationalize it like this, then why is it bad to slightly reduce human population?

I suppose what is good and what is bad is very much relative to your viewpoint. From a human vantage point we have a vested interest and a genetic imperative of reproduction and self-preservation.

I would guess-estimate that, if given the choice and the cognition, bats would likely also choose to self-preservate to the detriment of Humans.

> genetic imperative of reproduction and self-preservation.

As we can see with 7+ billions people on earth (or lemmings) too much reproduction threatens self-preservation, hence my previous comment.

If we take out any emotion and go by pure logic, a virus culling the herd doesn't seem to be a bad thing.

Now I'm like anyone else, I'd rather not be culled but I understand that if we don't find solutions, nature will.

Depends on the method. We’re already hard at work stopping population growth by getting people out of poverty. Very probable that it’ll turn into population decline in a few decades.

Does that take into account the COVID-19 baby boom?

There is no "the coronavirus." The article mentions at least nine or ten different ones. There are dozens of coronaviruses.

Yes exactly. I meant there is a huge reservoir of various corona viruses in bats.

>this virus is everywhere now

It has probably been everywhere for a long time. The point of the article is that coronaviruses jumping to humans is something that happens fairly often.

> The coronavirus is showing up in species all over the planet

> I can’t imagine a future without it.

And a past? Coronaviruses have been around in animals for at least nearly a hundred years.

The domestic cat edition (FIP) isn't too rare. Many cats live with it unaffected their entire life. It's a type of virus, and viruses are everywhere.

Just because a virus hops species doesn't mean it does anything interesting to/with that species. I'd wager most mutations are benign.

I meant a variety of different corona viruses that have not yet the ability to replicate in humans. Corona virus is a family of viruses. SARS-2 one that made it he jump from animals to humans.

> I can’t imagine a future without it.

I would be surprised if there was a (reasonably near) past without it.