Bats,probably the most abundant,diverse and geographically dispersed vertebrates on earth,have recently been shown to be the reservoir hosts of a number of emerging viruses responsible for severe human and livestock d...Bats,probably the most abundant,diverse and geographically dispersed vertebrates on earth,have recently been shown to be the reservoir hosts of a number of emerging viruses responsible for severe human and livestock disease outbreaks. Flying foxes have been demonstrated to be the natural reservoir for Hendra and Nipah viruses. Evidence supporting the possibility of bats as potential reservoirs for SARS coronavirus(SARS-CoV) and Ebola virus has also been reported. The recent discovery of these viruses and other viruses occurring naturally in the bat population provides a unique insight into a diverse pool of potentially emergent and pathogenic viruses. The factors which influence the ability of zoonotic viruses to effectively cross the species barrier from bats to other animal populations are poorly understood. A brief review is provided here on the recently emerged bat viruses and on current and future strategies for research in this area.展开更多
Hendra virus,a novel member of the family Paramyxovirus that has emerged from bats in Australia,causes fatal disease in livestock and humans. Eleven spillover events have been identified since the first description of...Hendra virus,a novel member of the family Paramyxovirus that has emerged from bats in Australia,causes fatal disease in livestock and humans. Eleven spillover events have been identified since the first description of the virus in 1994,resulting in a total of 37 equine cases and six human cases. All human cases have been attributed to exposure to infected horses;there is no evidence of bat-to-human or human-to-human transmission. Low infectivity and a high case fatality rate are features of Hendra virus infection in both horses and humans. The temporal pattern of spillover events suggests seasonal factors(plausibly be environmental,biological or ecological) as the proximate triggers for spillover. Minimisation of the future occurrence and impact of Hendra virus infections requires an understanding of the ecology of flying foxes,of virus infection dynamics in flying foxes,and of the factors that promote spillover. Management strategies seek to minimize the opportunity for effective contact between bats and horses,and limit potential horse-to-horse and horse-to-human transmission. Incomplete knowledge of the ecology of the virus,of the proximate factors associated with spillover,and the inherent difficulties of effectively managing wild populations,preclude a management approach targeted at bats.展开更多
文摘Bats,probably the most abundant,diverse and geographically dispersed vertebrates on earth,have recently been shown to be the reservoir hosts of a number of emerging viruses responsible for severe human and livestock disease outbreaks. Flying foxes have been demonstrated to be the natural reservoir for Hendra and Nipah viruses. Evidence supporting the possibility of bats as potential reservoirs for SARS coronavirus(SARS-CoV) and Ebola virus has also been reported. The recent discovery of these viruses and other viruses occurring naturally in the bat population provides a unique insight into a diverse pool of potentially emergent and pathogenic viruses. The factors which influence the ability of zoonotic viruses to effectively cross the species barrier from bats to other animal populations are poorly understood. A brief review is provided here on the recently emerged bat viruses and on current and future strategies for research in this area.
文摘Hendra virus,a novel member of the family Paramyxovirus that has emerged from bats in Australia,causes fatal disease in livestock and humans. Eleven spillover events have been identified since the first description of the virus in 1994,resulting in a total of 37 equine cases and six human cases. All human cases have been attributed to exposure to infected horses;there is no evidence of bat-to-human or human-to-human transmission. Low infectivity and a high case fatality rate are features of Hendra virus infection in both horses and humans. The temporal pattern of spillover events suggests seasonal factors(plausibly be environmental,biological or ecological) as the proximate triggers for spillover. Minimisation of the future occurrence and impact of Hendra virus infections requires an understanding of the ecology of flying foxes,of virus infection dynamics in flying foxes,and of the factors that promote spillover. Management strategies seek to minimize the opportunity for effective contact between bats and horses,and limit potential horse-to-horse and horse-to-human transmission. Incomplete knowledge of the ecology of the virus,of the proximate factors associated with spillover,and the inherent difficulties of effectively managing wild populations,preclude a management approach targeted at bats.
