Humans usually contract Nipah when they - or their livestock - overlap with the Pteropus fruit bat, which is endemic to South and Southeast Asia.
Climate change will likely expand the habitable range of the fruit bats that carry Nipah, putting more people in the virus' crosshairs. Additionally, rising temperatures might push people and their livestock into regions where fruit bats are prevalent, another way to increase the potential of contracting Nipah.
LINK:https://www.preventionweb.net/news/climate-change-likely-expand-range-asian-bat-and-deadly-disease-it-carriesALSO..
The Nipah Virus: A Deadly Threat to Global Health
Understanding the Silent Killer, Its Origins, and Why Preparedness Matters More Than Ever
The virus was eventually traced to fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, which act as the natural hosts.
These bats do not typically harm humans directly. But when forests are cut down and habitats shrink, wildlife comes closer to human settlements—and viruses can cross species more easily.
This combination makes Nipah a high-priority virus for scientific research.
Environmental Change and the Rising Risk
As forests disappear and urban areas expand, humans and wildlife share more space than ever before. Fruit bats, once living deep in natural habitats, now feed near farms, orchards, and villages. This increases the risk of viruses crossing from animals to humans.
Climate change also plays a role. Rising temperatures and unstable weather patterns disrupt natural ecosystems, pushing animals into new areas. With each shift, new opportunities for viral transmission appear.
LINK:https://vocal.media/longevity/the-nipah-virus-a-deadly-threat-to-global-health-qq5hpk0grhCOMMENT:
"Here is a breakdown of the fruit bat behaviors mentioned and their link to disease:
Defecating/Urinating Upside Down: Contrary to popular belief, fruit bats do not usually urinate or defecate directly while hanging upside down, as this would soil their fur. Instead, they typically flip right-side up, hanging by their thumbs to go to the toilet. They may also do this while flying. While this keeps the bat clean, the resulting fecal matter, urine, and partially eaten fruit fall to the ground, creating "drip zones" that can contaminate ground, water, or foliage with viruses.
Eating Habits and Contamination: Fruit bats frequently contaminate fruit by leaving saliva or urine on it while feeding. They often chew fruit to drink the juice and spit out the pulp. This behavior creates a risk of pathogen transmission if other animals (like pigs or horses) or humans consume this partially eaten fruit.
Grooming and Social Behaviors: Bats are generally clean animals. However, the behavior of licking themselves (grooming) or, in the case of some fruit bats, engaging in oral sex to prolong mating, involves saliva, which is a primary fluid for spreading viruses like Nipah.
Disease Transmission: The primary risk to humans comes from direct contact with contaminated bodily fluids (saliva, urine, feces) or from indirect exposure, such as drinking raw date palm sap that bats have contaminated.
In summary, the specific habits mentioned—when combined with their role as natural reservoirs—facilitate the spread of virus-heavy saliva and feces into the environment, which is a key driver of zoonotic disease transmission (spillover) to humans and intermediate animals."
