Outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus puts pressure on the relationship between members of the Obafemi Awolowo University community and a large colony of bats on campus, SODIQ OYELEKE reportsBefore a Liberian diplomat, Patrick Sawyer, practically imported the Ebola Virus Disease into Nigeria, not many Nigerians really liked bats. Many associated the winged nocturnal mouse-like animals with bad omens and so they rarely attracted positive commentaries.
But that was not the perception at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. Hitherto at the university, bats were creatures that many students and members of staff found very fascinating. No wonder, they classified them as one of the prides and wonders of the 52-year-old university. Almost every big tree on campus is a home to these mammals.
But with the EVD scare that hit the country last July, that perception has changed. Nowadays, only a few members of the varsity community are comfortable with the bats.Many people now see the creatures as enemies. They see the rich bat protectorate as a leprous colony with only a few people summoning courage to pass under the big trees that host them.
Of course, their fears are justifiable. Many believe bats, monkeys and some other undomesticated animals have links with the spread of the dreaded EVD. The disease, with no known cure so far, has killed no fewer than 1,500 of the 2,500 infected persons in Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Congo. In Nigeria particularly, Ebola has consumed the lives of no fewer than six persons in less than two months.
Thus, seeing bats fly in their thousands has now become a source of concern in OAU. But some people insist there is no cause for alarm.
Some of such people who spoke to our correspondent said the bats were harmless. According to them, there is no reason to fear them because they have been around for many years. In fact, they say the animals still deserve respect, love and good neighbourliness.
For a student, Sola Mosobalaje, the presence of the animals is no longer strange to him, especially as they are almost in every nook and cranny of the university.
He said, "Initially, as a fresh student in the university, I was scared of them because of their huge population. Today, however, that is no longer the situation. I am no longer scared. I have been here for long and nothing has happened to anyone.
"We know when they fly and when they do not. That we now no longer pass under the trees that quarter them is merely because we want to be careful. It is not because of the fears many other Nigerians associate with animals due to the Ebola outbreak. So what we do now is to take alternative routes."Another student, Sanmi Aina, who resides off campus, said the bats were a common sight in the city. Aina noted that if they were as dangerous as now feard,, no individual would be alive in the ancient Yoruba city.
He said, "If anything will happen, it will likely start from town and not on campus. They will have to send all the residents of Ile-Ife away and everyone would have been dead by now if bats automatically transmitted Ebola virus. But I can assure you, there is no tension here. We are taking our time as literate people."
The Head of Zoology Department in the university, Prof. Sylvester Ogbogu, also assuaged the fear of many, saying the school was safe, in spite of the huge bat population.
Ogbogu, a professor of Aquatic Entomology, also dismissed the call for the cutting down of the trees over what he described as "unconfirmed information" that bats spread EVD.
He said, "One thing with the transmission of diseases between animal and man is that it only occurs when the disease is endemic. Such is the case with river blindness. River blindness is associated with certain insects. Those insects that transfer the river blindness pathogens are dominant in the middle belt area of the country. It is because the pathogens and the insects are there that we have high incidence of river blindness in that region.
"If Ebola virus goes endemic in Nigeria, it is possible for the fruit bats we have on campus to have it. But we have been staying with these bats and people have been hunting them to feed animals and we have not recorded any case of Ebola."
The don, who said the bat settlement on campus predated the establishment of the university, warned against 'hasty generalisation'.
He added, "The few bats that may be present in some of these West African countries, such as Sierra Leone or Liberia, may have Ebola virus, which needs to be investigated. But the ones we have here are relatively safe. When students are around, they move to the fringes of the university campus because of human movement and disturbance.
"The cutting down of trees is the most terrible thing to do. Why should we kill the animals or cut down trees? The community has been with these bats for ages. They migrate and come back occasionally. Their number has been increasing over the years. So far, there is no fear, there is no apprehension about their presence."
A former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Prof. Eyo Okon, said there was the need for a research to conclude that bats were major carriers of EVD.
Okon, a specialist in bats biology, while urging Nigerians not to panic, said, "It is important to remember how Ebola came into the country. If it had come through forest animals, such as monkeys, and bats, then that kind of link with bats can be rational. People are just mentioning bats. I have done studies on bats and nobody talked of bats spreading disease.
"In fact, people even worship bats in a part of Warri. There is a tree there where people congregate and worship because they believe good things come from bats. Most talks about bats are myths. Bats are very useful animals and are one of the biggest pollinators among mammals.
"It is possible that bats are carriers of the virus but that has to be proved. Science and knowledge always begin with speculation and guess work, but we need to go into research for proof.
"A report by experts coordinated by World Health Orgainsation says fruit bats are considered (not a certainty) natural hosts for Ebola virus; meaning that it is a speculation with little evidence and not yet conclusively proved. We must begin to prove things conclusively in this country and I think OAU is a very good place to do that because it has a large constituent of bats."
The former VC also frowned on the idea of exterminating the bats, saying it would have both biological and environmental implications. According to him, killing bats will not end Ebola.
He said, "The research aspect is very important because that is what will pinpoint the source and how it spreads. Universities and other research institutions can combine and go into this research. Stopping Ebola does not end with killing of bats and cutting down of trees. Government must step up research."
Nonetheless, the authorities of the university are not taking anything to chance. The university Public Relations Officer, Biodun Olarewaju, who said the campus was safe, however, stated that there was ongoing sensitisation campaign on EVD.
Olarewaju added, "Members of the community are safe. There is no cause for alarm over Ebola here."
SEPTEMBER 2, 2014 BY SODIQ OYELEKE
Punch: http://www.punchng.com/education/with-ebola-oau-bats-now-a-source-of-concern/
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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