In a discovery that may change how we think about disease origins, researchers at the University of Oklahoma have found that only certain bat species carry viruses with high epidemic potential. The study, published in Communications Biology, challenges the assumption that all bats are equal risk carriers of deadly pathogens like coronaviruses and filoviruses.
For years, bats have been unfairly labeled as nature’s viral villains. They have been linked to the origins of diseases such as SARS, Nipah, and Marburg. But this sweeping generalization, according to the new study, hides a much more nuanced biological reality. Using advanced machine learning and phylogenetic analysis, the team identified that viral virulence and transmissibility cluster only among specific bat lineages, not across the entire order Chiroptera.
Mapping Risk Across the Bat Family Tree
Caroline Cummings, a doctoral student in the School of Biological Sciences and lead author of the paper, explains that the key insight came from looking at bat family trees, not just individual species. By tracing viral characteristics alongside evolutionary relationships, the researchers discovered that high-risk viruses tend to appear in related bat groups that share ecological traits and immune adaptations.
“Instead of all bats carrying all dangerous viruses, it’s only specific bats that have co-evolved with specific viruses, and that’s why they tend to live with them and not be sick,” said Cummings.
These high-risk clades include some cosmopolitan families such as Vespertilionidae and Molossidae, which are widely distributed across continents and often live in proximity to humans. The team also found that bat families like Rhinolophidae (horseshoe bats) and Hipposideridae are associated with certain high-virulence flaviviruses in Asia and Africa. However, most other bat groups showed little to no connection to viruses with high human impact.
By overlaying their findings on maps of human encroachment and habitat disruption, the researchers identified geographic hotspots where high-risk bats and intense human activity overlap. These regions include Southeast Asia, equatorial Africa, and parts of Central and South America. Protecting natural bat habitats in these areas, the study suggests, could reduce the chance of viral spillover events while preserving critical ecological functions.
Protecting Bats, Protecting Ourselves
Beyond the viral analysis, the study carries an important conservation message. Bats are among the planet’s most beneficial mammals. In Oklahoma, for instance, Mexican free-tailed bats consume vast numbers of agricultural pests, saving farmers millions of dollars annually. In tropical ecosystems, fruit bats serve as pollinators and seed dispersers that help maintain biodiversity.
“If we lost bats, agricultural production would be negatively affected, and so would economies,” said Cummings.
Senior author Dr. Daniel Becker, assistant professor in the School of Biological Sciences, emphasizes that understanding which bat species pose higher viral risks can help both public health and conservation efforts. Targeted surveillance, he says, is far more efficient than stigmatizing entire bat populations.
“This work brings much-needed nuance to discussions around bats and their role as viral hosts,” Becker said in the university release. “The literature has often made broad, sweeping statements about bats and zoonotic risk. By being able to identify which particular groups of bat species carry dangerous viruses, and where they most overlap with human impacts, we can minimize negative human-bat interactions.”
Ultimately, the research reframes bats not as threats but as ecological allies that happen to share evolutionary space with certain viruses. As Cummings notes, learning how these species coexist peacefully with dangerous pathogens might even yield insights for human medicine. Studying their immune systems could inform future treatments that mimic bat tolerance, turning centuries of fear into an opportunity for healing.
By bringing evolutionary context and ecological empathy to the table, the Oklahoma team has made a crucial point: not all bats are equal in viral risk, and not all risk requires fear. Sometimes, the best way to stop a pandemic before it starts is to protect the creatures that help keep ecosystems healthy in the first place.
Communications Biology: 10.1038/s42003-025-08929-5
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