Latest news with #Henipaviruses
Economic Times
7 hours ago
- Health
- Economic Times
Another pandemic? Deadly new bat viruses found in China, Scientists warn of up to 75 percent fatality rate
All about Henipaviruses The discovery site Live Events Wake-up call? The solution (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Researchers from multiple Chinese universities, together with international collaborators, recently released a study in PLOS collected kidney samples from 142 bats representing ten species between 2017 to 2020 across five Yunnan locations. Genetic sequencing revealed 22 viral species, including 20 entirely new viruses, and two henipaviruses closely related to deadly Hendra and Nipah strainsHenipaviruses are notorious for causing severe brain inflammation and respiratory illness, with fatality rates as high as 75 percent in humans. Nipah outbreaks in Malaysia and Bangladesh, and Hendra cases in Australia, have underscored their deadly potential. Alarmingly, Yunnan bat henipavirus 1 shares up to 71 percent similarity in key proteins (N and L) with Nipah and Hendra , marking it as the closest known wild development comes a few years after the deadly COVID-19 outbreak resulted in millions of deaths around the world. Its first known case was identified in China 's Wuhan city in late makes this especially concerning is the discovery site, bat kidneys, and the source of urine. Bats roost in orchards adjacent to rural villages, creating an environment where urine droplets may contaminate fruit or water, exposing villagers and their animals. Molecular virologist Vinod Balasubramaniam emphasized that this precise localization 'raises alarm about potential human exposure via contaminated fruits or water'.The team also identified a new protozoan parasite, Klossiella yunnanensis, and two novel bacterial species, including Flavobacterium yunnanensis. This focuses on the 'infectome,' the full range of microbes within the bat stress that spillover is not inevitable. It requires the right viral traits and sufficient exposure, often via intermediaries. For instance, fruit bat–related Nipah cases in Bangladesh arose from contaminated date-palm sap. Still, given Yunnan's proximity to regions like Malaysia, where Nipah first emerged, the stakes are Alison Peel, an ecologist unaffiliated with the study, noted that many henipavirus relatives 'appear not to be of any concern,' but stressed that laboratory testing is vital to assess their ability to infect human or livestock investigation serves as a wake‑up call as humans encroach on wildlife habitats, shared food and water sources become potential bridges for local health systems, educate communities on simple safety measures like covering fruit and boiling water, and expand microbial monitoring across bat organs, especially kidneys and urine.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
Another pandemic? Deadly new bat viruses found in China, Scientists warn of up to 75 percent fatality rate
Researchers from multiple Chinese universities, together with international collaborators, recently released a study in PLOS collected kidney samples from 142 bats representing ten species between 2017 to 2020 across five Yunnan locations. Genetic sequencing revealed 22 viral species, including 20 entirely new viruses, and two henipaviruses closely related to deadly Hendra and Nipah strains All about Henipaviruses Henipaviruses are notorious for causing severe brain inflammation and respiratory illness, with fatality rates as high as 75 percent in humans. Nipah outbreaks in Malaysia and Bangladesh, and Hendra cases in Australia, have underscored their deadly potential. Alarmingly, Yunnan bat henipavirus 1 shares up to 71 percent similarity in key proteins (N and L) with Nipah and Hendra , marking it as the closest known wild relative. This development comes a few years after the deadly COVID-19 outbreak resulted in millions of deaths around the world. Its first known case was identified in China 's Wuhan city in late 2019. The discovery site What makes this especially concerning is the discovery site, bat kidneys, and the source of urine. Bats roost in orchards adjacent to rural villages, creating an environment where urine droplets may contaminate fruit or water, exposing villagers and their animals. Molecular virologist Vinod Balasubramaniam emphasized that this precise localization 'raises alarm about potential human exposure via contaminated fruits or water'. Live Events The team also identified a new protozoan parasite, Klossiella yunnanensis, and two novel bacterial species, including Flavobacterium yunnanensis. This focuses on the 'infectome,' the full range of microbes within the bat kidney. Experts stress that spillover is not inevitable. It requires the right viral traits and sufficient exposure, often via intermediaries. For instance, fruit bat–related Nipah cases in Bangladesh arose from contaminated date-palm sap. Still, given Yunnan's proximity to regions like Malaysia, where Nipah first emerged, the stakes are high. Dr. Alison Peel, an ecologist unaffiliated with the study, noted that many henipavirus relatives 'appear not to be of any concern,' but stressed that laboratory testing is vital to assess their ability to infect human or livestock cells. Wake-up call? This investigation serves as a wake‑up call as humans encroach on wildlife habitats, shared food and water sources become potential bridges for viruses. The solution Strengthen local health systems, educate communities on simple safety measures like covering fruit and boiling water, and expand microbial monitoring across bat organs, especially kidneys and urine.
Newsweek
16 hours ago
- Health
- Newsweek
New Bat Viruses Discovered in China 'Raising Urgent Concerns'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Twenty new viruses have been discovered within bats in China, "raising urgent concerns" that these diseases might spill over into livestock or even humans. Using genetic sequencing, researchers identified 22 viruses in the kidney tissues of 142 bats collected in Yunnan province between 2017 and 2021—with two being genetically similar to the deadly Hendra and Nipah henipaviruses. The analysis also unveiled other species of bacteria and a parasite which had all previously been unknown to science. According to the team, the bats were found roosting near fruit orchards adjacent to rural yet populated villages. The researchers have warned that urine can serve as a transmission route in henipaviruses, raising the risk that the bats could contaminate fruit consumed by humans or animals, potentially paving the way to an outbreak. From left: A greater bamboo bat; and an image of the Hendra virus. From left: A greater bamboo bat; and an image of the Hendra virus. Getty Images The study—in particular the discovery of two previously unknown henipaviruses now named Yunnan bat henipavirus 1 and 2—marks the first full-length genomes of this virus type detected in Chinese bats. "These viruses are particularly concerning because they were predominantly found in bat kidneys, a site linked to urine production, raising alarm about potential human exposure via contaminated fruits or water," said molecular virologist professor Vinod Balasubramaniam of Australia's Monash University in a statement. Henipaviruses have been responsible for high-fatality outbreaks in the past. The newly identified Yunnan bat viruses share 52 to 57 percent of their genetic material with these dangerous counterparts. Balasubramaniam said that the research highlights Yunnan as a critical region for zoonotic emergence due to how similar its climate is to Nipah-affected parts of the world, like Malaysia. Alongside the virus discoveries, the team also reported finding a previously unknown single-celled parasite named Klossiella yunnanensis, and two highly-abundant bacterial species—one of which, Flavobacterium yunnanensis, is described for the first time. Read more Overlooked bat viruses may be "small step" from causing next pandemic Overlooked bat viruses may be "small step" from causing next pandemic While past virological studies in bats had focused on fecal samples, the study made sure to shift its attention to internal organs—especially the kidneys—due to their role in disease transmission. The findings suggest a broader range of microbial threats may be harbored in these under-studied tissues, potentially increasing the risk of zoonotic transmission. Bat-borne viruses have been implicated in several major zoonotic disease outbreaks, including Ebola, Marburg, SARS, MERS, and COVID-19. These pathogens can jump to humans directly or through intermediate hosts, often via ingestion of contaminated food or water. Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about zoonotic viruses? Let us know via science@ Reference Kuang, G., Yang, T., Yang, W., Wang, J., Pan, H., Pan, Y., Gou, Q., Wu, W., Wang, J., Yang, L., Han, X., Chen, Y., Eden, J.-S., Holmes, E. C., Shi, M., & Feng, Y. (2025). Infectome analysis of bat kidneys from Yunnan province, China, reveals novel henipaviruses related to Hendra and Nipah viruses and prevalent bacterial and eukaryotic microbes. PLOS Pathogens, 21(6).
