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Why Humans Only Need To Vaccinate A Few Bats
AI Summary
In this video, you will explore the science of rabies transmission and modern efforts to control it. The lesson explains why the virus is so deadly, how it spreads through vampire bat colonies, and why traditional "extermination" methods are often ineffective or harmful. Most importantly, you will learn about an innovative, non-lethal solution: using a specialized, edible gel—similar to the thickeners found in hot cocoa—to distribute vaccines through the bats' natural social grooming behaviors. This video is an excellent resource for expanding your scientific vocabulary and understanding how researchers apply creative solutions to complex public health challenges.
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This video is sponsored by Squarespace.
You’ll probably never get rabies,
but that doesn’t make it any less terrifying.
The disease is virtually always fatal once symptoms emerge.
And while we have some post-exposure treatments,
they rely on getting to the doctor in time.
So a much better solution would be to prevent rabies in the first place.
And to do that, it’s animals that we need
to figure out a better solution for.
Because they’re the ones who often transmit it to us.
Which is extra complicated when we want
to curb the spread of rabies due to vampire bats.
Since their whole deal is biting other animals,
stopping them from spreading rabies along the way isn’t easy.
But new research shows the solution to vampire
bat rabies might be an ingredient in your hot cocoa.
[♪INTRO]
Rabies is an RNA rhabdovirus found in the Lyssavirus genus.
It almost always passes to humans via an animal bite,
and it can take days to months for symptoms to show up.
These include headaches, vomiting, confusion,
fear of water, and hallucinations, all of which are
thanks to the virus infiltrating the central nervous system.
Once symptoms do appear, the patient dies within 2 or 3 days
of going to the hospital, basically 100% of the time.
A last ditch effort is the Milwaukee Protocol,
where doctors put the patient into a medically induced coma,
pump them with antivirals, and hope for the best.
But only about a couple dozen people have survived, and
they often have major neurological deficits after all’s said and done.
And it’s not just human lives on the line either.
Cattle are frequent rabies victims,
with economic impacts in the tens of millions of dollars.
So preventing their infections could save their lives,
and also all the beef, dairy, and money that comes with them.
Full subtitles available in the video player
Key Vocabulary (45)
Used to refer to the person or people that the speaker is addressing. It is the second-person pronoun used for both singular and plural subjects and objects.
A detailed study of a subject, especially in order to discover (new) information or reach a (new) understanding. It involves gathering facts and data to test a theory or solve a problem.
A place is a particular area, position, or building that is used for a specific purpose or where something is located. It is a general term used to describe locations ranging from a specific spot in a room to an entire city.
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