China Develops Vaccinated Mosquitoes to Protect Bats from Viruses

Islamabad: Chinese scientists have developed mosquitoes carrying vaccines capable of immunizing bats against rabies and Nipah viruses. This innovative approach aims to prevent the transmission of dangerous viruses from animals to humans, potentially averting future outbreaks.

Bats have long been recognized as reservoirs for viruses such as rabies and Nipah, making them a key source of “spillover” events to humans. Vaccinating bats has been challenging due to their large populations in forests and the difficulty of direct administration.

Researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology have now employed vaccine-carrying mosquitoes and saline nets to immunize bats indirectly. This method, termed “environmental vaccination,” is considered safer and more effective as it eliminates the need to capture or handle the animals directly.