Ghana batmen dey hunt for pandemic clues

Bats dey essential to di world ecosystems or environment.

But dem dey also carry several different kain virus dem.

As human being dey gradually draw closer and closer to wia dem dey naturally live, plus di risk of new pandemics, scientists don begin study bats for any clue on how dem got take prevent any new outbreaks.

Night na di witching hour for Accra Zoo.

Na di time wey di colony of straw-coloured fruit bats wey dey captive for di zoo dey begin move and na di best time to test dem for different pathogens.

One team of scientists or sabi pipo from the University of Ghana veterinary school dey dia to analyse di bat dem shit, or guano.

Dem be part of one international effort to predict di next pandemic.

Even for di extreme heat of Ghana rainy season, dem dress up for full PPE. Enta di cave and spread white tarpaulin for ground.

Leader of di sabi pipo Dr Richard Suu-ire don study bats for many years. Im explain say dem need PPE "to protect you from any infection wey you fit pick up inside di cage but also to prevent di bats from getting any infections from us. So na protection both ways."

Many tins about dis animals still be mystery - di only mammals wey dey fly - and dia extraordinary immune systems.

Somehow bats fit carry many viruses but e no go make dem sick.

Ghana join kontris like Bangladesh and Australia as part of one global project wey dem call Bat OneHealth.

Bat OneHealth dey investigate how species dey transfer pathogens from one to anoda and wetin dem fit do to prevent so-called spillover events.

As par Covid pandemic, di bat-borne viruses bwey dem dey focus on here include coronaviruses.

Warning: Dis article contain one foto of dead animals wey some pipo fit find upsetting

Dr Suu-ire explain say dem dey test for paramyxoviruses and coronaviruses for di bats.

For human beings body dem dey experiences in familiar sickness dem like mumps, measles and respiratory tract infections.

Im describe di bats as "reservoirs" becos dem dey carry di infection but dem no dey dall sick demsef.

"So we wan monitor and see wetin dey happun."

Im say wen dem bin work wit wild bat populations dem bin no detect Covid-19.

Today, im team dey also test for superbugs for di bat shit.

Di scientists don feed di bats pawpaw fruits and, once di bats shit on di tarpaulin, dem take swabs of di bright orange droppings, store dem for test tubes.

University of Ghana don dey for front for dis new area of research, and dis project na first of im kain.

However, e still get many gaps for scientific understanding.

Ultimately, wetin dem dey try find out na weda e get any bacteria for bat shit wey fit to resist antibiotics.

Dr Suu-ire says: "If we find any resistance we go den find out which antibiotic dem dey develop resistance to.

In future we go try to separate di resistant genes from dis bacteria."

Dis no be di only bat research wey University of Ghana dey do.

For di undergrowth of di university botanical gardens, Dr Kofi Amponsah-Mensah dey set up one high green net, almost as if im dey ready for one night-time game of badminton.

Dis nets allow am to catch some bats temporarily wey im go dem examines, measures and finally release back to di wild.

As ecologist, im worry be say human beings dey steadily invade bat habitats.

Im point out say di rate of deforestation dey high for Ghana, as a lot of mining dey destroy di vegetation wey be bata natural home.

"I tink we just dey use di bats as scapegoats for areas wia we don fail as pipo, becos, historically we bin no get a lot of dis diseases emerging," im tok.

"We be di ones wey dey invade into di bats' [environment], you know, and messing around wit di ecosystem. Dis obviously lead to more contact and din di possibility say dis diseases dey come."

Any discussion of how human beings go take relate wit bats go automatically lead to di topic of bushmeat.

Dem dey sell all kain animals for bushmeat market down one railway line wey dem dey miss use for central Accra.

Dis markest na wia wild animals, like bats, dey come in contact wit pipo.

Dis n aim dey create di kain risk dis scientists wan solve before e occur.

Certainly e no be place for pesin wey no get mind.

Dem get animals wey dem call grass cutters with long tails, and dead antelopes wey dem cut di throats - signs of di different way wey dme take dey hunt for wild.

For one corner of di stall, we see be like cover of saucepan, e full wit dried-up, straw-coloured fruit bats.

According to Dr Amponsah-Mensah, tdem don put an for fire to remove di hair.

Afta Covid pandemic, some sabi pipo bin want make dem ban markets like dis one in case dem deyhelp spread di viruses.

Although Dr Amponsah-Mensah say even though im no dey chop bat, im no too sure about di ban.

E say bushmeat market don dey occur for thousands of years and na deep part of pipo culture and history and many pipo prefer bushmeat to beef or chicken.

"Dis business na mostly women dey run amand for many of dem dis na di only business dem sabi becos dia grandparents hand am down to dia mama and now dem sef dey di business," im tok.

"So any attempt to ban bushmeat without really thinking about the complexity of the trade will really have serious implications."

Bats na already di focus of billions of dollars-worth of research - partly sake of dia unusual immune systems but also becos dem fit fly long distance.

Understanding dem beta, as dem dey try do for Ghana, go crucial for di planet health.