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What vaccinating vampire bats can teach us about pandemics | Daniel Streicker

Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized Talk recommendations and more. Could we anticipate the next big disease outbreak, stopping a virus like Ebola before it ever strikes? In this talk about frontline scientific research, ecologist Daniel Streicker takes us to the Amazon rainforest in Peru where he tracks the…

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Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized Talk recommendations and more.

Could we anticipate the next big disease outbreak, stopping a virus like Ebola before it ever strikes? In this talk about frontline scientific research, ecologist Daniel Streicker takes us to the Amazon rainforest in Peru where he tracks the movement of vampire bats in order to forecast and prevent rabies outbreaks. By studying these disease patterns, Streicker shows how we could learn to cut off the next pandemic at its source.

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The TED Talks channel features the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world’s leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. You’re welcome to link to or embed these videos, forward them to others and share these ideas with people you know. For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), submit a Media Request here:

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32 Comments

32 Comments

  1. AntiR0b0t

    November 24, 2019 at 4:33 am

    His passion alone is inspiring and heartfelt. So glad people like him exist and give a damn about saving lives.
    *Insert Michael Scott joke here

  2. amelia

    November 24, 2019 at 6:34 am

    Anyone else here think that vaccinating bats may have unintended consequences? We might get bats with autism lol

    • B Mastro

      November 27, 2019 at 12:22 am

      Maybe its been showing up in Rat brains when studied…

  3. YouAndImpact

    November 24, 2019 at 7:01 am

    Amazing research the very fact that we can limit outbreaks or pandemics and prevent it makes it a astounding idea

  4. BrutusAlbion

    November 24, 2019 at 7:07 am

    This explains why so many vampires are autistic.

  5. Nigel Palmer

    November 24, 2019 at 7:52 am

    Wow clear concise so easy to understand, good talk.

  6. im ba

    November 24, 2019 at 9:25 am

    알수없는 알고리즘이 절 끌고왔습니다

  7. iPad muri

    November 24, 2019 at 9:27 am

    いや、おすすめに出てきたのなんで?!

  8. Erdoğan Yeksoy

    November 24, 2019 at 10:14 am

    Will come Turkish subtitles ? Please

  9. hafedallh abdo alahdal

    November 24, 2019 at 10:40 am

    😮😮

  10. raudi140980

    November 24, 2019 at 2:10 pm

    Please tell me somebody how can I find videos where I can touch on the text and take the translation into Russian?

  11. stuart beard

    November 24, 2019 at 2:31 pm

    Is rabies a useful virus in nature the we don’t know about ?

  12. Grant Beck

    November 24, 2019 at 3:44 pm

    When will Ted himself show up to the talk??

    • The Tea is for Skinnies Only

      November 28, 2019 at 5:45 am

      Grant Beck that was a great ted talk

  13. Chase Lindsay

    November 24, 2019 at 5:56 pm

    Vaccination of these animals only strengthens their viruses making this a possible outbreak situation.

    • Lea Currey

      November 24, 2019 at 11:41 pm

      Chase Lindsay – Super interested in how you came to this conclusion. Cite your sources pls.

    • B Mastro

      November 27, 2019 at 12:05 am

      @Lea Currey let just say that this occurs across the board of any kind of disease remember the pros that you have a drug cons that the bug can and usually will become resistant to the same drug(s) due it ability to learn( if that is the proper way of putting it) and adapt to the drug currently being used. Thus you can see why its very key to understanding what can happen to medicine and disease.

    • Lea Currey

      November 27, 2019 at 12:10 am

      The key word in the article you provided is “antibiotics”, not vaccines- which actually work in a very, very, very different way.

  14. Beardyvlogger

    November 24, 2019 at 6:39 pm

    Those are some scary stats but really cool findings, this was an interesting one to watch!

  15. gal Val

    November 24, 2019 at 8:17 pm

    Holiii soy el comentario en español que buscabas

  16. Chris Connor

    November 24, 2019 at 11:52 pm

    lets sterlilize the planet so no people get sick, no more mosquitos, no more sick bats, no more bugs in our corn. lets see what happens!
    its going to be 👍

  17. DiamondBones007

    November 25, 2019 at 6:11 am

    This reminds me of how pro us humans are at driving species extinct. Might be nice to turn that around and make it into a useful skill. Then oneday, we can start complaining about how we need to start making certain viruses an endangered species lol

  18. Ryan StonedOnCanadianGaming

    November 25, 2019 at 7:50 am

    15:31
    Bat Pun

    • Olliwia paszkiewicz

      November 26, 2019 at 11:29 pm

      Yay someone else noticed ! 🙂

  19. Kens Account

    November 25, 2019 at 4:59 pm

    Plant trees along the bats path with edible fruit that the bats love to eat and smear the vaccine on the fruits periodically before night fall.

    • DL Koprowski

      November 27, 2019 at 7:32 am

      That would work but these bats…drink blood for their every day meals. Maybe find their favorite nesting places?

  20. Big Human

    November 25, 2019 at 7:16 pm

    This is the kind of research that makes me want to learn everything about the world. It’s like caffeine for your curiosity

  21. Raphael Arantes

    November 26, 2019 at 12:00 am

    Vaccinating bats was the coolest thing I’ve heard today. I didn’t know about the existence of this disease and how serious it is. Vaccinating bats is an intelligent action,because combating the virus from its source is what will extermine this problem. Hope they succeed on their mission to eradicate this virus so that people won’t die from rabis anymore.

  22. Lara Smith

    November 26, 2019 at 2:49 am

    🦋Geez talk about what the Bible said would happen so important to be prepared

  23. Lewis Maker

    November 26, 2019 at 5:12 am

    Well I’ve always wondered. In my town and most all other states my dog has to be vaccinated to get a dog license. And us warm blooded humans are just as likely to get it, rabies if bitten. Why is it not common practice for us to get vaccinated too?

  24. Shilonious Monk

    November 26, 2019 at 12:25 pm

    You’re not a bat, you don’t need a vaccination

  25. 1Energine1

    December 1, 2019 at 10:36 am

    Daniel I have a ranch with tens of thousands of vampire bats if your interested in some real world study I cant think of a bigger colony.

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In a quick talk, he shares three major updates of recent human progress on eradicating ancient diseases, establishing massive new ocean sanctuaries and transforming children’s rights. (This conversation was recorded on December 2, 2024.) If you love watching TED Talks like this one, become a TED Member to support our mission of spreading ideas: Follow…

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In a quick talk, he shares three major updates of recent human progress on eradicating ancient diseases, establishing massive new ocean sanctuaries and transforming children’s rights. (This conversation was recorded on December 2, 2024.)

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The TED Talks channel features talks, performances and original series from the world’s leading thinkers and doers. Subscribe to our channel for videos on Technology, Entertainment and Design — plus science, business, global issues, the arts and more. Visit to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

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TED’s videos may be used for non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons License, Attribution–Non Commercial–No Derivatives (or the CC BY – NC – ND 4.0 International) and in accordance with our TED Talks Usage Policy: . For more information on using TED for commercial purposes (e.g. employee learning, in a film or online course), please submit a Media Request at

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