{"id":201,"date":"2025-06-24T11:06:47","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T18:06:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/?p=201"},"modified":"2025-06-24T11:06:47","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T18:06:47","slug":"dangerous-viruses-related-to-deadly-nipah-found-in-chinese-bats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/sciencechina\/2025\/06\/24\/dangerous-viruses-related-to-deadly-nipah-found-in-chinese-bats\/","title":{"rendered":"Dangerous Viruses Related to Deadly Nipah Found in Chinese Bats"},"content":{"rendered":"

Scientists have discovered two viruses closely related to the lethal Nipah and Hendra viruses lurking in bat kidneys near villages in China’s Yunnan province.<\/p>\n

The findings raise urgent concerns about potential spillover to humans through contaminated fruit, as these bats inhabit orchards where they could spread the pathogens through urine.<\/p>\n

The comprehensive study, published in PLOS Pathogens, analyzed kidney tissues from 142 bats across ten species in Yunnan province over four years. Researchers identified 22 viral species total\u201420 of them previously unknown\u2014along with bacterial species and a parasitic organism that had never been documented before.<\/p>\n

Deadly Relatives Discovered<\/h2>\n

The most concerning discoveries were two henipaviruses found in fruit bats living near village orchards. These viruses belong to the same genus as Nipah and Hendra viruses, which cause severe brain inflammation and respiratory disease with mortality rates of 35-75% in humans.<\/p>\n

One of the newly identified viruses, Yunnan bat henipavirus 1, showed particularly close genetic similarity to the human pathogens. It shared 70.33-71.33% amino acid identity with Nipah and Hendra viruses in key proteins, making it the closest known relative of pathogenic henipaviruses discovered to date.<\/p>\n

“These findings broaden our understanding of the bat kidney infectome, underscore critical zoonotic threats, and highlight the need for comprehensive, full-spectrum microbial analyses of previously understudied organs to better assess spillover risks from bat populations,” the authors state.<\/p>\n

Geographic Significance<\/h2>\n

The discovery marks the first detection of complete henipavirus genomes in Chinese bats, with particular significance given Yunnan’s location. The southwestern province borders Southeast Asian countries and sits geographically close to Malaysia, where Nipah virus first emerged in 1998-1999, killing over 100 people.<\/p>\n

Previous studies found antibodies to Nipah-like viruses in bats across multiple Chinese provinces, including Yunnan, suggesting widespread exposure. However, this study provides the first genome-scale evidence for henipavirus diversity in China and confirms their zoonotic potential.<\/p>\n

Transmission Risks<\/h2>\n

The researchers found these dangerous viruses specifically in fruit bats inhabiting orchards near human villages. Since henipaviruses can spread through bat urine, this proximity creates concerning scenarios for human exposure through contaminated fruit consumption.<\/p>\n

Testing revealed the viruses present in multiple organs within infected bats, though kidneys showed significantly higher viral loads than heart, liver, lung, or gut tissues. Notably, brain tissue contained no detectable virus, suggesting kidneys serve as the primary replication site.<\/p>\n

Key transmission concerns include:<\/p>\n