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Virus Hunter: Monitoring Nipah Virus in Bat Populations

Topic

  • Microbiology
  • Viruses
  • Pathogens & Disease
  • Scientific Skills & Literacy
  • Explanations & Argumentation

Resource Type

  • Videos
  • Scientists at Work

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege

Duration

00:09:01
Used In
1 BioInteractive Playlists
Saved By
25 Users
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Description

This video follows scientists working in Bangladesh as they test fruit bat populations to determine whether they are infected with Nipah virus, a potentially deadly human pathogen.

Fruit bats (also called flying foxes) of the genus Pteropus carry a virus called Nipah, which can be transmitted to humans and cause severe disease. In Bangladesh, the virus causes a disease outbreak almost every year. Disease ecologist Jon Epstein of the EcoHealth Alliance explains how scientists discovered that bats are the natural reservoir of the virus, and how the virus is transmitted from bats to humans. Epstein and his collaborators are now monitoring the presence of the virus in bat populations throughout Bangladesh to identify human populations that might be at risk of transmission.

An audio descriptive version of the film is available via our media player.

Key Terms

at-risk population, disease transmission, epidemiology, organismal biology, scientific methodology, scientific process, zoonotic disease

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

Video files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 08.03.16
Date Updated 08.03.16

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS2.A

AP Biology (2019)

IST-4

IB Biology (2016)

6.3

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 8.15

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

3.3

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1, CC3

Materials

HD (M4V) 340 MB
HD (WMV) 284 MB
SD (M4V) 76 MB
SD (WMV) 77 MB
Transcript (PDF) 226 KB

Use This Resource With

Activity Resource
Epidemiology of Nipah Virus
Interactive Media Resource
Interactive Case Study for Virus Hunter: Monitoring Nipah Virus in Bat Populations

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