Study links increase in infant deaths to decline in bat populations
A recent scientific study has uncovered a troubling link between disease-related declines in bat populations and rising infant mortality rates. The research highlights a chain reaction in which the decline in bats, natural predators of insects, has led farmers to increase their use of pesticides to protect crops, inadvertently impacting human health. The study, published in the journal Science, found that in U.S. counties experiencing bat declines, there was a 31 percent increase in insecticide use. This increase in pesticide use correlated with an 8 percent increase in infant mortality in those regions. This research highlights the complex interdependencies in…
