Study of culling bats in Peru may be counterproductive in controlling rabies

The culling of bats, a common practice in Peru to control rabies, does not reduce rates of exposure to the virus causing the disease and may be counterproductive, according to a study by the University of Michigan. The research, conducted in colonies of vampire bats in Peru, aims to help public health officials and agriculture in this country to develop more effective in preventing rabies infections in humans and livestock. The study, which was developed by a team of Peruvian and U.S. scientists, led by Daniel Streicker, Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia, is published this week in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society. Read Article