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Scientists discover two brand new viruses in bats in China – and warn they could spill over to humans
Infections that could trigger severe brain inflammation and respiratory disease have been discovered in bats in China.
Researchers have found two new viruses in the flying mammals that are closely related to the deadly Nipah and Hendra viruses – both of which are fatal to humans.
Experts have raised urgent concerns about the potential of these viruses to jump to local people.
And there is currently no medication or vaccine to treat either of them.
'These findings broaden our understanding of the bat kidney infectome, underscore critical zoonotic threats and highlight the need for comprehensive, full-spectrum microbial analyses of previously understudied organs to better assess spillover risks from bat populations,' the researchers said.
For their study, the team from the Yunnan Institute of Endemic Disease Control and Prevention analysed the kidneys of 142 bats from 10 species collected over four years.
Using advanced genetic sequencing they found 22 viruses – 20 of them never seen before.
Two of the most concerning were new henipaviruses, closely related to the Nipah and Hendra viruses.
These were found in fruit bats (Rousettus leschenaultia) living near orchards close to human villages in Yunnan.
Since henipaviruses can spread through urine, the study raises concerns about contaminated fruit and the risk of these viruses jumping to humans.
The team published their findings in the journal Plos Pathogens.
They wrote: 'By analysing the infectome of bat kidneys collected near village orchards and caves in Yunnan, we uncovered not only the diverse microbes bats carry, but also the first full-length genomes of novel bat-borne henipaviruses closely related to Hendra and Nipah viruses identified in China.'
They said their findings raise 'urgent concerns about the potential for these viruses to spill over into humans or livestock.'
Bats are natural reservoirs for a wide range of microorganisms, including some that have previously been transmitted to humans.
One theory is that the coronavirus could have originated in bats and then spilled over into people, triggering the global Covid pandemic.
However, others argue it came from a 'lab leak' or from other animals being sold at a wet market.
The animals have also been linked to Ebola and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreaks.
'Bat-borne viruses are transmitted to human either direct contact with bats or via so-called 'intermediate' hosts, often linked to the ingestion of food or water contaminated with bat saliva, faeces or urine,' the researchers added.
They warned: 'Nipah virus are lethal pathogens that cause severe disease in humans, including acute respiratory distress and encephalitis, with a mortality rate of 35-75 per cent.
'Similarly, Hendra virus has caused multiple fatal outbreaks in humans and horses, including the death of veterinarians.'
Separately, experts have warned that dozens of viruses – some of which have the potential to spill over into humans – have been detected mixing in animals at fur farms in China, sparking new fears of a fresh pandemic outbreak.
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, scientists have been warning that farming mammals such as minks for their fur could make it easier for new viruses to cross over from the wild and spark fresh outbreaks.
Virologist Edward Holmes, who has led research into Covid-19, told AFP he felt that the global fur farming industry 'is one most likely ways by which a new pandemic will start'.
'Personally, I think the fur farming industry globally should be closed down,' he added.
'I strongly believe that the wildlife trade was responsible for the emergence of SARS-CoV-2.
'And I think that the related fur farming trade could easily result in another pandemic virus.'
It might sound bat crazy, but these disease-riddled cave-dwelling creatures of the night might hold the key to curing CANCER
They have become much maligned due to their links to the Covid pandemic - but bats may hold the secret to curing cancer.
A new study found some species contain more than 50 unique genes that may make them immune to tumors - even though they live extraordinarily long lives.
Bats have mystified scientists for years due to their unique ability to live normally with viruses that kill or sicken most other mammals - and people.
Yet this ability to tolerate viruses put them at the center of questions about the origin of Covid, which is thought to have emerged in the animals.
Researchers hope that by developing a better understanding of their miracle immune systems, they can develop ways to prevent and treat cancer in people.
