Human contact with bats has been epidemiologically linked to several of the most recent Ebola outbreaks, including the 2014 West Africa epidemic and the 2007 Luebo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, outbreak. While fruit bats remain the likely primary reservoir for Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus), recent wildlife surveillance efforts have identified a new species of ebolavirus (Bombali ebolavirus) in microchiropteran insect-eating bats in West and East Africa. Given the role of bats as potential Ebola reservoirs and sources of spillover into human populations, it is critically important to understand the circumstances and behaviors that bring human populations into close contact with bats. This study explores two sites in Bombali, Sierra Leone, where human populations have had close contact with microchiropteran bats via household infestations and fruit bats by hunting practices. Through interviews and focus groups, we identify the knowledge, beliefs, perceptions, and behaviors that may potentially protect or expose individuals to zoonotic spillover through direct and indirect contact with bats. We also describe how this research was used to develop a risk reduction and outreach tool for living safely with bats.

人类与蝙蝠的接触在流行病学上与最近的几次埃博拉疫情有关，包括 2014 年西非疫情和 2007 年刚果民主共和国卢埃博疫情。虽然果蝠仍然可能是埃博拉病毒（扎伊尔埃博拉病毒）的主要宿主，但最近的野生动物监测工作已经确定了一种新的埃博拉病毒（Bombali 埃博拉病毒）) 在西非和东非的食虫蝙蝠中。鉴于蝙蝠作为潜在的埃博拉病毒宿主和向人类传播的来源的作用，了解使人类与蝙蝠密切接触的环境和行为至关重要。这项研究探索了塞拉利昂邦巴利的两个地点，那里的人口通过家庭侵扰和果蝠通过狩猎活动与微手足目蝙蝠有过密切接触。通过访谈和焦点小组，我们确定了可能通过与蝙蝠的直接和间接接触来保护或使个人暴露于人畜共患病溢出的知识、信念、看法和行为。我们还描述了如何使用这项研究来开发降低风险和外展工具，以便与蝙蝠一起安全生活。