"A new study in the journal Science found the decline of bats in the United States had come at a deadly cost to humans."

"Bats have a bad reputation, but they deserve better. The flying mammals are nature’s pest control, swooping over America’s farmland every night to feast on swarms of insects that would otherwise chew through crops.

But many of the country’s bat populations are on the decline, wiped out by a devastating fungus that attacks the insect eaters in their sleep.

Now, a new study suggests that decline in bats has come at a ghastly cost to human beings.

An analysis published Thursday in the journal Science suggests farmers have increased their use of pesticides on crops in response to the population collapse of bats, potentially leading to the deaths of more than 1,000 human infants through intoxication from the chemicals. Past research has linked exposure to pesticides with negative health outcomes, including childhood asthma and death."

Dino Grandoni reports for the Washington Post September 5, 2024. [2]