Australian scientists monitor bat activity for Hendra virus

SYDNEY, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Australian scientists on Tuesday monitored bat activity on a southeast Queensland property where the latest Hendra virus outbreak occurred.

Biosecurity Queensland scientists are using infra-red cameras to film horses, bats and other wildlife at night to see how the virus is transmitted to horses.

Bats are known to carry the virus but it's unclear how the virus is transmitted to horses.

It's a crucial link in the chain which could lead to preventative measures to stop horse to human transmissions.

Four of the seven people who contracted the virus from infected horses have died since the disease first emerged in 1994.

In the latest case, the infected horse was put down last week and 11 people who came into contact with it face a long wait before they can be cleared of the potentially fatal virus.

Research leader Dr Hume Field said so far bats had not been captured on camera, as bat activity on the property had since declined.

"We're trying to understand the specifics of what happens that allows the horse to become infected," Field said.

"When flying foxes feed they often chew the fruit up, take the juice out and drop the rest on the ground but we don't know if this happens under a tree horses stand under and if the horses sniff at or eat this stuff."

Field said using infra-red, time-lapse photography to monitor bats and horses interaction has been in the pipeline for six months after the technique proved successful in Bangladesh.

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