The Sourasky (Ichilov) Medical Center has made medical history by documenting the first-ever case of human infection with a poxvirus traditionally found in fruit bats native to Israel. The groundbreaking discovery was published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases by researchers led by Dr. Yael Paran, head of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Ichilov Hospital.

The case emerged in May 2023 when a 38-year-old Tel Aviv woman sought medical care, presenting with painful palm lesions, severe fatigue, muscle aches, and other systemic symptoms. The patient, a volunteer at an association that cares for bats, had been looking after sick and young fruit bats in her home, including six nursing bats – one of which died and another showed similar skin lesions.

Further investigation revealed four additional volunteers had experienced similar symptoms after bat bites, though they recovered without seeking medical attention. The discovery represents the first scientifically documented instance of poxvirus transmission from bats to humans.

The finding builds on previous research from the Kimron Veterinary Institute in Beit Dagan, which had identified this novel poxvirus in Egyptian fruit bats three years earlier. Through collaboration with the institute's researchers, the team confirmed the breakthrough transmission case.

"While this discovery is significant, it's not cause for public alarm," Paran emphasizes. "The illness is typically mild and requires direct contact for transmission." However, she recommends protective measures such as gloves and masks for anyone working with sick animals, particularly those who are immunocompromised.

The case highlights the growing importance of monitoring zoonotic diseases – those that can jump from animals to humans. Recent decades have seen several such diseases emerge, including Ebola, avian flu, and COVID-19. This reinforces the significance of the "One Health" approach, which advocates for integrated collaboration between medical professionals, veterinarians, and environmental experts.

According to Paran, "to protect both humans and animals, we need collaborative work between healthcare providers and environmental professionals who will monitor, recognize, share information, and develop comprehensive prevention strategies together."

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Two years before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology planned on conducting a study in bat caves to release enhanced airborne coronavirus particles and infect the bats, thereby inoculating them against diseases that could jump to humans, leaked papers published by The Telegraph on Tuesday revealed. 

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The documents – confirmed as genuine by a former Trump administration official – were released by Drastic, a web-based investigation team that was established by researchers from across the world to investigate the origins of COVID-19. 

Although it is unclear whether researchers went ahead with the study, the papers do reveal that 18 months before the pandemic broke out in Wuhan – and from there spread to the rest of the world – scientists made a formal request to release "skin-penetrating nanoparticles ... of bat coronaviruses into cave bats," according to the paper. 

The team, which included scientists from the United States as well, planned on creating genetically enhanced viruses that could infect humans more easily and requested $14 million to fund the project. 

It should be noted that such studies are common and are often conducted to learn about virus capabilities in order to allow nations to prepare for possible outbreaks ahead of time. 

Nevertheless, the fact that researchers planned on releasing deliberately modified coronavirus particles adds credence to the belief that COVID-19 did not just mutate on its own from previous strains. 

Concerns that scientists in China might be responsible for the outbreak of the pandemic led to the Biden administration launching an investigation into the origins of COVID-19 several weeks ago. 

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