Bat Attack!
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NewsHow bats tolerate viruses: study sheds light on one of nature’s biggest immune mysteries
Researchers have found that the world’s largest family of bats has two distinct copies of the genes that produce antibodies, the specialized proteins that help the immune system recognize and fight infections. Every other known mammal has only one such set.
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NewsNasal vaccine combats bird flu infection in rodents
Researchers have developed an intranasal H5N1 vaccine that elicited strong immune responses when tested in hamsters and mice and prevented infections in exposed animals. The team also confirmed their vaccine remained effective regardless of prior flu exposure.
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NewsBats identified as origin of unexplained acute respiratory illness and encephalitis in Bangladesh
Infectious disease researchers have identified Pteropine orthoreovirus (PRV), an emerging bat-borne orthoreovirus, in archived throat swab samples and virus cultures from five patients in Bangladesh who were initially suspected to have Nipah virus infection but tested negative.
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NewsNew study reveals not all bats carry equal viral risk
A groundbreaking study sheds new light on the relationship between bats and dangerous viruses, showing that contrary to widespread assumptions, not all bats carry viruses with high epidemic potential, only specific groups of species.
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NewsCo-infections in young bats could underpin coronavirus emergence
A new study finds that young bats are infected more frequently by coronaviruses and could be a key source of viral spillover into other species. It also reveals the dynamics of coronaviruses circulating in Australian bats, which pose no known risk to humans.
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NewsNew study reveals bats are key players in cross-species spread of morbilliviruses
Researchers studying the spread of morbilliviruses in bats and monkeys in Brazil and Costa Rica have discovered new virus species and host switches from bats to other mammalian species.
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NewsFirst coronavirus similar to MERS is found in bats in South America
A novel coronavirus, which shares high genetic similarities with MERS-CoV, was identified in bats in the state of Ceará, Brazil. Experiments to find out whether it can infect humans are set to take place in collaboration with Hong Kong University.
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NewsGenomic tools provide clearer view of health for endangered bats
Researchers have used advanced molecular tools to survey the health status of endangered Indiana bats, identifying microbiome changes resulting from parasitic infections.
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NewsFruit-only diet improves bats’ immune response to viruses
Fruit bats generate more diverse antibodies than mice, but overall have a weaker antibody response, according to a new study.
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NewsHibernation status matters when white-nose syndrome pathogen infects bats
The fungal pathogen that causes white-nose syndrome (WNS) in bats uses different cell entry strategies depending on the host’s hibernation status – cold and inactive, or warm and active.
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NewsRabies virus variants from marmosets are found in bats
Rabies virus variants closely related to variants present in White-tufted marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) have been detected in bats in Ceará state, Northeast Brazil.
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NewsMonitoring bats can help ID coronaviruses with pathogen potential
Researchers who found novel coronaviruses in UK bats say genetic surveys of the viruses should be regularly conducted, even if none of those viruses can infect humans yet.
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NewsBats disturbed by humans are more frequently infected with coronaviruses
Bats in human-dominated ecosystems have a higher prevalence of coronaviruses, increasing the possibility that these could be transmitted to humans.
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NewsBat mating swarms may be the key to solving the next pandemic
The evolution of viral tolerance in Myotis bats may help scientists prevent future pandemics, say researchers.