A dusky pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus hesperidus) collected in UgandaKIRSTEN GILARDI, UC DAVISBats host a large variety of coronaviruses across Africa, Asia, and the Americas, according to a study published Monday (June 12) in Virus Evolution.
Scientists had previously determined that bats harbor a variety of deadly pathogens, including those linked to major fatal outbreaks in humans. These include severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which spread to dozens of countries and caused more than 700 deaths, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which appeared in 27 countries and has killed more than 600 people.
The scientists who conducted the research say that information collected from this new study could help predict similar epidemics before they spiral out of control. “It’s time to stop being reactive,” Simon Anthony, a virologist at Columbia University and a study coauthor, tells Nature. “The point is to take a different approach and be more proactive by understanding the diversity of viruses out there before they actually ...
