Bat influenza viruses could infect humans

Bats don’t only carry the deadly Ebola virus, but are also a reservoir for a new type of influenza virus. These newly discovered flu viruses could potentially also attack the cells of humans and livestock, researchers at the University of Zurich have now shown. Seasonal outbreaks of the flu are caused by influenza viruses that can only infect people. Influenza types that circulate in birds or pigs are normally not a threat to humans. However, in rare cases an avian or pig virus can pass on to humans – a process called zoonotic transmission – which at worst can lead to a global influenza pandemic with numerous serious illnesses and deaths. Bats as a reservoir for dangerous viruses About six years ago, a new kind of influenza virus was discovered in bats in South America. The flying mammals have been the focus of virologists for a long time already. This is because they...