Abstract

Bats are very important for the environment, but they can transmit several dangerous viruses, including not only the dreaded Ebola but also the Hendra virus. Hendra virus affects both horses and people and can be lethal. The measures Australia (where the virus is present) has so far taken include horse vaccination and safer practice promotion among horse owners. Additional ecological approaches such as bat habitat protection and creation could enhance Hendra virus management since the underlying cause of Hendra virus emergence seems to be habitat loss. To find out what Australian citizens think about it, we asked three community juries whether they think such a strategy is appropriate. Even though they all agree the government should implement ecological approaches to manage Hendra, the juries prioritize increasing resources for the current measures: horse vaccination and safer practices among horse owners.