Where did the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) come from? Did it spread to ‘patient zero’ through proactive human-animal contact? Why did humans faced an increasing number of zoonotic diseases in the past few decades? In this article, we propose a new theory by which human pollution such as artificial lighting and noise accentuate pathogen shedding from bats and other wild habitants in urban environments. This theory differs from the current hypothesis that wildlife trades and bushmeat consumption largely contribute to the spillover of zoonotic pathogens to humans. As natural reservoirs, bats harbor the greatest number of zoonotic viruses among all mammalian orders, while they also have a unique immune system to maintain functioning. Some bat species roost in proximity with human settlements, including urban communities and surrounding areas that are potentially most impacted by anthropogenic activities. We review the behavioral changes of wild habitants, including bats and other species, caused by environmental pollution such as artificial lighting and noise pollution, with focus on the spillover of zoonotic pathogens to humans. We found that there is a strong positive correlation between environmental stress and the behavior and health conditions of wild species, including bats. Specifically, artificial lighting attracts insectivorous bats to congregate around streetlights, resulting in changes in their diets and improved likelihood of close contact with humans and animals. Moreover, many bat species avoid lit areas by expending more energies on commuting and foraging. Noise pollution has similar effects on bat behavior. Bats exposed to chronic noise pollution have weakened immune functions, increased viral shedding, and declined immunity during pregnancy, lactation, and vulnerable periods due to noised-induced stress. Other wild species exposed to artificial lighting and noise pollution also show stress-induced behaviors and deteriorated health. Overall, evidence supports our hypothesis that artificial lighting and noise pollution have been overlooked as long-term contributors to the spillover of zoonotic pathogens to humans in urban environments.

严重急性呼吸系统综合症冠状病毒 2 (SARS-CoV-2) 是从哪里来的？它是否通过主动的人与动物接触传播到“零号病人”？为什么在过去的几十年里，人类面临越来越多的人畜共患疾病？在本文中，我们提出了一种新理论，根据该理论，人工照明和噪音等人类污染会加剧城市环境中蝙蝠和其他野生动物的病原体脱落。这一理论与目前的假设不同，即野生动物贸易和食用野味在很大程度上导致了人畜共患病病原体向人类的溢出。作为天然宿主，蝙蝠在所有哺乳动物目中拥有最多的人畜共患病病毒，同时它们还具有独特的免疫系统来维持功能。一些蝙蝠物种栖息在人类住区附近，包括可能受人为活动影响最大的城市社区和周边地区。我们回顾了由人工照明和噪音污染等环境污染引起的野生居民（包括蝙蝠和其他物种）的行为变化，重点关注人畜共患病病原体向人类的溢出。我们发现，环境压力与包括蝙蝠在内的野生物种的行为和健康状况之间存在很强的正相关关系。具体来说，人工照明会吸引食虫蝙蝠聚集在路灯周围，从而改变它们的饮食习惯，并提高与人类和动物密切接触的可能性。此外，许多蝙蝠物种通过在通勤和觅食上花费更多精力来避开光照区域。噪音污染对蝙蝠的行为也有类似的影响。由于噪音引起的压力，暴露于慢性噪音污染的蝙蝠免疫功能减弱，病毒脱落增加，在怀孕、哺乳和脆弱时期的免疫力下降。其他暴露于人工照明和噪音污染的野生物种也表现出压力诱导行为和健康恶化。总体而言，证据支持我们的假设，即人工照明和噪音污染已被忽视作为人畜共患病病原体在城市环境中向人类外溢的长期因素。