The Growing Threat of Bat-Borne Pandemics.

Destruction of bat habitats worldwide is increasing the risk of a new pandemic as bats are carriers of tens of thousands of viruses. Reuters conducted a global analysis to identify areas most vulnerable to spillover of bat viruses, dubbing them "jump zones." These areas cover 6% of Earth's land mass and are mostly tropical locales rich in bats and undergoing rapid urbanization. Nearly 1.8 billion people lived in these jump zones in 2020, an increase of 57% since 2002, putting more than 1 billion people at risk.