Kosovar physician Naser Ramadani from the National Institute of Public Health has addressed concerns regarding the so-called “Nipah” virus, which has spread in India.
Ramadani stated that the risk posed by this virus in Europe, Kosovo, and Albania is very low.
He explained that the species of bats responsible for transmitting the virus do not live in Kosovo or Albania.
“Nipah is a virus that can be transmitted from animals to humans. The most common sources of infection are fruit bats (family Pteropodidae), species that are not found in our region. The bats present in Albania and Kosovo are known as the lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) and are insectivorous, meaning they primarily feed on insects and small mollusks and do not consume fruit,” he wrote.
