Pawel Fedurek, Caroline Asiimwe, Gregory K Rice, Walter J Akankwasa, Vernon Reynolds, Catherine Hobaiter, Robert Kityo, Geoffrey Muhanguzi, Klaus Zuberbühler, Catherine Crockford, Regina Z Cer, Andrew J Bennett, Jessica M Rothman, Kimberly A Bishop-Lilly, Tony L Goldberg
Proposed mechanisms of zoonotic virus spillover often posit that wildlife transmission and amplification precede human outbreaks. Between 2006 and 2012, the palm Raphia farinifera, a rich source of dietary minerals for wildlife, was nearly extirpated from Budongo Forest, Uganda. Since then, chimpanzees, black-and-white colobus, and red duiker were observed feeding on bat guano, a behavior not previously observed. Here we show that guano consumption may be a response to dietary mineral scarcity and may expose wildlife to bat-borne viruses...
April 22, 2024: Communications Biology