Bats and viruses: a death-defying friendship

Authors: Parakriti Gupta, Mini P. Singh, Kapil Goyal, Pande Tripti, Mohd Ikram Ansari, Vinodhkumar Obli Rajendran, Kuldeep Dhama, Yashpal Singh Malik

Year: 2021

Journal: VirusDis.

DOI: 10.1007/s13337-021-00716-0

Summary

This paper reviews the role of bats as a reservoir for various viruses including Nipah virus, Ebola virus, Hantavirus, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and emerging viruses like Sosuga virus, Menangle, and Tioman virus. It discusses the evolution of these viruses in bats and their transmission to new hosts.

Key Findings

Bats act as a reservoir for numerous viral agents
The ongoing pandemic SARSCoV-2 virus is implicated to be originated from bats
Certain factors have been linked to spillover events while the scope of entitlement of other conditions in the spread of diseases from bats still exists

Methodology

Study Type: Review

Topics

Epidemiology, Virology, Clinical

Relevance

This review provides insights into the role of bats as reservoirs for various viruses, including the Nipah virus and SARS-CoV-2, and the factors influencing their spillover events.

Source

View the entire paper: File:13337 2021 Article 716.pdf