What we know about China’s discovery of 20 new bat viruses
Scientists in China have discovered 20 new viruses in bats, including two closely related to Nipah and Hendra, both viruses known to cause deadly outbreaks in humans.
The research, carried out in Yunnan province in the southwest of China, raises concerns about future risks to public health.
Bats were studied in fruit orchards where they often come into contact with people, livestock, and fresh produce.
The team of researchers analysed 142 bats from ten different species. They found not only a wide range of viruses but also a new type of bacterium and a previously unknown parasite.
Two of the viruses belong to a group known as henipaviruses and show strong genetic similarities to Nipah and Hendra.
These viruses are known to spread from animals to people and have caused deadly outbreaks in Asia and Australia in the past.
The study was published in the journal PLOS Pathogens and led by scientists from the Yunnan Institute of Endemic Disease Control and Prevention and Dali University.
Researchers say the viruses were found in the bats’ kidneys, an area that has been largely overlooked in previous studies.
The team warned that because bats roost near orchards and water sources, the chance of spillover into humans or animals should not be ignored.
While the newly discovered viruses have not yet been shown to infect humans, the researchers say their close link to known deadly viruses makes it important to monitor them.
Dr Alison Peel, a wildlife disease expert at the University of Sydney who was not involved in the study, said the risk is still being assessed.
“We have other examples of close evolutionary cousins to Hendra and Nipah that appear not to be of any concern for spillover, so there will need to be some more laboratory studies on these new viruses to determine the actual risk,” she said.
The image used for this article was AI-generated
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
