They have a weakened response but it is still there. But tracing its origin and taking action to combat further outbreaks may depend partly on knowledge and monitoring of bats. Bats live on every continent except Antarctica, in proximity to humans and farms. People in many parts of the world eat bats, and sell them in live animal markets, which was the source of SARS, and possibly the latest coronavirus outbreak that began in Wuhan. They also often live in huge colonies in caves, where crowded conditions are ideal for passing viruses to one another.

Source: New York Times January 28, 2020 23:48 UTC