Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 12, 2026

Standard Operating Procedure for Lyssavirus Surveillance of the Bat Population in Taiwan
07:55

Standard Operating Procedure for Lyssavirus Surveillance of the Bat Population in Taiwan

Published on: August 27, 2019

8.1K

Bats as reservoirs of severe emerging infectious diseases

Hui-Ju Han1, Hong-ling Wen1, Chuan-Min Zhou1

  • 1School of Public Health, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, Shandong Province, China.

Virus Research
|May 23, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Bats are a natural reservoir for many severe infectious diseases, including Ebola and SARS-CoV. Understanding bat virology is key to preventing zoonotic disease spillover to humans.

Area of Science:

  • Zoonotic Diseases
  • Viral Ecology
  • One Health

Background:

  • Emerging infectious diseases pose a significant global threat.
  • Bats are recognized as a natural reservoir for numerous pathogenic viruses.
  • Understanding bat-human disease transmission is crucial for public health.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To highlight the role of bats as a source of emerging infectious diseases.
  • To explain the mechanisms of viral spillover from bats to humans.

Main Methods:

  • Review of scientific literature on bat-borne viruses.
  • Analysis of known transmission pathways of zoonotic diseases originating from bats.

Main Results:

  • Identified several severe human infectious diseases linked to bat viruses (e.g., Ebola, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, Nipah, Hendra).
  • Elucidated the co-evolution of viruses with bats due to unique bat biological and immunological features.
  • Confirmed that spillover to intermediate hosts or direct contact facilitates human infection.

Conclusions:

  • Bats are a significant natural reservoir for viruses with pandemic potential.
  • Preventing human infection requires understanding bat virology and transmission routes.
  • Interventions should focus on reducing bat-human contact and managing intermediate hosts.
Keywords:
BatEbolaEmerging infectious diseasesHendraMERSNatural reservoirNipahSARSViruses

More Related Videos

Application of I TASSER, trRosetta, UCSF Chimera, HADDOCK server, and HEX loria for De Novo and In Silico Design of Proteins05:08

Application of I TASSER, trRosetta, UCSF Chimera, HADDOCK server, and HEX loria for De Novo and In Silico Design of Proteins

Published on: July 8, 2025

1.3K
Author Spotlight: A Cost-Effective Genomic Workflow for Advancing Rabies Control in Resource-Limited Settings10:26

Author Spotlight: A Cost-Effective Genomic Workflow for Advancing Rabies Control in Resource-Limited Settings

Published on: August 18, 2023

6.7K

Related Concept Videos

Reservoir of Infection01:30

Reservoir of Infection

Infectious diseases arise from intricate interactions between pathogens and their reservoirs. A reservoir of infection refers to the natural habitat where a pathogen lives, grows, and multiplies, serving as a continual source of infection. Reservoirs are broadly classified as either living or nonliving, and each plays a unique role in disease transmission, significantly influencing public health interventions and control strategies.Humans act as reservoirs for a wide array of pathogens,...
53
Viral Recombination00:57

Viral Recombination

Cells are sometimes infected by more than one virus at once. When two viruses disassemble to expose their genomes for replication in the same cell, similar regions of their genomes can pair together and exchange sequences in a process called recombination. Alternatively, viruses with segmented genomes can swap segments in a process called reassortment.
25.8K
Infectious Diseases and Their Occurrence01:28

Infectious Diseases and Their Occurrence

Infectious diseases appear in populations through various transmission patterns, influenced by pathogen characteristics, population immunity, environmental conditions, and social behavior. Understanding these patterns is essential for effective public health surveillance and intervention. These categories—sporadic, outbreak, epidemic, pandemic, and endemic—help frame the nature and scope of disease events.Sporadic diseases occur irregularly and infrequently, without a predictable...
63
Arboviral Encephalitis01:25

Arboviral Encephalitis

Arboviral encephalitis refers to brain inflammation caused by arthropod-borne viruses, particularly those transmitted through mosquito vectors. Among these, West Nile virus (WNV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, is a significant public health concern. WNV is an enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus. Human infection typically begins when an infected mosquito introduces the virus into the dermis during feeding. The primary transmission cycle involves birds as amplifying hosts...
42
Infection01:20

Infection

When a pathogen enters the body and reproduces, it can cause an infection, damage body cells, and cause illness symptoms that eventually lead to disease. Therefore, its prevention requires breaking the chain of infection.
The chain begins with pathogens: bacteria, viruses, fungi, prions, or parasites such as protozoa helminths. These can be present on the skin as transient or resident flora, or they can be acquired from the environment. Identifying and treating the type of infection and...
14.6K
Viral Mutations00:36

Viral Mutations

A mutation is a change in the sequence of bases of DNA or RNA in a genome. Some mutations occur during replication of the genome due to errors made by the polymerase enzymes that replicate DNA or RNA. Unlike DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase is prone to errors because it is not capable of “proofreading” its work. Viruses with RNA-based genomes, like HIV, therefore accrue mutations faster than viruses with DNA-based genomes. Because mutation and recombination provide the raw material...
40.9K