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Source: https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-02/uoz-biv022019.php
Public Release: 20-Feb-2019
Bat influenza viruses could infect humans
University of Zurich
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 carry many different kinds of viruses, including lethal ones such as the Ebola virus. However, it has previously been unclear whether bat influenza viruses also present a threat to humans. An international research team led by the University of Zurich (UZH) has now discovered that these new influenza viruses have the potential to also infect humans and livestock.
Global search for "entry gate"
Previously known influenza viruses bind to host cells via sialic acids. These groups of chemicals can be found on the surface of almost all human cells and in various animals. This is one of the reasons why influenza viruses can infect species that are very different from one another, such as ducks, chickens, pigs and humans. Unlike these viruses, the bat influenza viruses don't bind to sialic acids, which is why several research teams all over the world started searching for the receptor through which they enter human cells...
Public Release: 20-Feb-2019
Bat influenza viruses could infect humans
University of Zurich
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 carry many different kinds of viruses, including lethal ones such as the Ebola virus. However, it has previously been unclear whether bat influenza viruses also present a threat to humans. An international research team led by the University of Zurich (UZH) has now discovered that these new influenza viruses have the potential to also infect humans and livestock.
Global search for "entry gate"
Previously known influenza viruses bind to host cells via sialic acids. These groups of chemicals can be found on the surface of almost all human cells and in various animals. This is one of the reasons why influenza viruses can infect species that are very different from one another, such as ducks, chickens, pigs and humans. Unlike these viruses, the bat influenza viruses don't bind to sialic acids, which is why several research teams all over the world started searching for the receptor through which they enter human cells...