Dracula on the Rampage in Peru

Travelers heading to Peru are being advised take precaution against the potentially fatal bites of rabies-carrying vampire bats.

Recent increases in the number of rabies-related deaths in the Amazon have been attributed to the rising number of vampire bats in the region. The rise is thought to be a result of deforestation. As the habitats of more sensitive species are lost, the bats experience of loss of predators, leading to imbalances in the food chain. An increase in cattle farming is also thought to have created more food for the bats, further boosting their populations.

Heath authorities are taking action by trying to vaccinate the communities living in bat-prone areas, but face a tough challenge. Many indigenous people are used to biting bats and are wary of modern medicene, so have been reluctant to accept modern vaccinations, preferring instead to rely on traditional remedies.

Five people died in recent outbreaks, with young children most vulnerable. The disease can lie dormant for up to six months, but once it takes hold, fever, hallucinations and, ultimately, death, are inevitable.

Hoping to learn more, and prevent future outbreaks, researchers have been carrying out research in Lima, by raiding Amazonian bat colonies and using DNA sequencing to monitor the evolution of the disease.

British travelers at risk are able to receive pre-exposure vaccinations in the UK. Go to fitfortravel.nhs.uk for more info.

Listen to the full report on BBC World Service

Watch a video clip of bats on location at globalpost.com

Image taken from BBC World Service

For travel journalism and copywriting services visit www.lucygrewcock.com
This blog was also posted on Responsible Travel News

£1000 BSES funding for the Channel Islands and North East

The Royal Geographical's Society affiliate charity, The British Schools Exploring Society, is offering young people in the Channel Islands and North-East £1000 towards expedition costs.

The British Schools Exploring Society (BSES) has been running expeditions to extreme locations for 16-23 year olds since the 1930s. Most expeditions run during the school summer holidays for three or five weeks, offering young people the opportunity to explore the Arctic wilderness, Himalayan mountains, Amazon rainforest, Oman desert or Namibia's savannah.

Older students have the opportunity of spending extended periods of time in the Arctic or desert, on longer gap-year projects, and can opt for specialist expeditions such as 'Arctic Skills' and 'Polar Nights'.

BSES expeditions are called 'adventures with a purpose', meaning that environmental responsibility and research are an integral part of all trips. From monitoring glacier retreat to collecting data on river dolphins and caiman populations, all BSES conservation research is published, presented and archived at The Royal Geographical Society.

In addition to ongoing research and contributions to the society, BSES gives young people first hand experience and direct interaction with some of the most pressing global concerns of the 21st century.

Anyone aged 16 or over can apply for a place on an expedition and learn about fund-raising techniques. With BSES's strong ethos that no-one should be excluded from opportunities, to assist students in the North East, £1000 funding in now available to each student to apply for on a first-come-first-served basis. Young people in the Channel islands are also eligible to apply for this funding, to assist with additional travel costs they will incur flying to the UK to embark on their adventures. For students based outside the North East and Channel Islands, significant support and grants are also available to assist young people in meeting their expedition costs.

Find out more by visiting www.bses.org.uk or contact lucy@bses.org.uk to ask for expedition details.

This article was also posted at www.responsibletravelnews.com

www.lucygrewcock.com