New study reveals not all bats carry equal viral risk
A groundbreaking study published in Nature’s Communications Biology sheds new light on the relationship between bats and dangerous viruses. Led by researchers at the University of Oklahoma, the study shows that contrary to widespread assumptions, not all bats carry viruses with high epidemic potential, only specific groups of species.
‘Teen’ bats most likely to spread mutant coronaviruses
Raina Plowright, professor in Cornell’s Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, and colleagues unveiled new insights into the natural dynamics of coronaviruses circulating in wild bats, which are their reservoir hosts, in a new Nature Communications paper. When young bats are weaned, they’re more prone to viral infections, and more likely to shed those viruses into the environment.