University of Pretoria researchers Dr Mariëtte Pretorius and Professor Wanda Markotter have published a study which shows that land around important bat-inhabited caves are changing and that natural habitats are being destroyed.
Researchers at the University of Pretoria are determining the threat posed to the ecosystem and that of human health as people expand their settlements closer to the natural habitats of bats. It is vital that bats are well protected. Ultimately, if bat populations decrease, humans will be affected.
This gallery takes you on a field trip with scientists as they monitor bat health and species diversity. You can see what bats really look like up close and in full flight.
Rabies is a frightening viral infection and the only infectious disease that carries a 100% mortality in any species (including humans) once clinical signs appear.
A multidisciplinary study led by two University of Pretoria (UP) researchers has found that Tshwane District hospitals were under immense pressure to provide clinical services in the face of an influx of paediatric patients (under 19 years old) during the early stages of the COVID-19 Omicron wave in November and December 2021.
A team of UP scientists has published the only study from Africa that entailed genomic One Health investigations to reveal that Delta variants of COVID-19 were transmitted from humans to animals.
Most South Africans love eating meat, but animal diseases regularly threaten a constant, affordable supply.
Caves are overlooked but essential parts of the natural world. Many animals use caves for shelter and for raising their young – bats among them. Caves are often home to multiple bat species. Bats may also use different caves for specific reasons; some travel to particular selected caves, known as maternity caves, just to have their pups. This means that large populations of bats rely on a...
There are substantial sexual disparities between the outcome of COVID-19 disease in men and women. Numerous studies have confirmed that while there is no difference in the proportion of males and females with confirmed COVID-19, male patients have almost three times the odds of requiring admission for intensive treatment and higher odds of death compared to females.
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