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Science

Tracking Viruses: Bats and the mumps

October 29, 2012

Researchers from the Institute of Virology in Bonn have tested thousands of bats from all over the world in search of viruses. They found that the flying mammals play host to familiar pathogens such as the mumps virus, but also discovered 66 new virus species.

https://p.dw.com/p/16YHY

The scientists believe this could make eradicating many dangerous diseases more difficult than previously believed, because even if vaccination campaigns eradicate certain viral diseases in humans, bats may be a reservoir from which the viruses could return.