Spillovers from wild animals will have occurred historically, but the person who would have been infected would probably have died or recovered before coming into contact with a large number of other people in a town or in a city, these days with motorized transport and planes you can be in a forest in central Africa one day, and in a city like central London the next.

Andrew Cunningham

When they fly they have a peak body temperature that mimics a fever, it happens at least twice a day with bats -- when they fly out to feed and then they return to roost. And so the pathogens that have evolved in bats have evolved to withstand these peaks of body temperature.

Andrew Cunningham

The underlying causes of zoonotic spillover from bats or from other wild species have almost always -- always -- been shown to be human behavior, human activities are causing this.

Andrew Cunningham

We believe that the impact of stress on bats would be very much as it would be on people, it would allow infections to increase and to be excreted -- to be shed. You can think of it like if people are stressed and have the cold sore virus, they will get a cold sore. That is the virus being' expressed.' This can happen in bats too.

Andrew Cunningham

It's easy to point the finger at the host species, but actually it's the way we interact with them that has led to the pandemic spread of the pathogen.

Andrew Cunningham

There are tens of thousands [ of viruses ] waiting to be discovered, what we really need to do is understand where the critical control points are for zoonotic spillover from wildlife are, and to stop it happening at those places. That will be the most cost-effective way to protect humans.

Andrew Cunningham

If they are being shipped or held in markets, in close proximity to other animals or humans.

Andrew Cunningham

There's absolutely no doubt about it.

Andrew Cunningham