Bats are carriers of six other coronaviruses that were previously unknown to science and belong to the same family as the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the popular Covid-19 virus, which is currently spreading around the world. The study is published in Plos One journal. Bats, the only flying mammal is in an evolutionary bridge which makes it a reservoir of viruses, without it being infected.
Researchers from the Smithsonian National Zoological Park and the Institute of conservation biology (USA) studied samples of saliva and excrement of more than 400 bats of different species living in the wild, but close to humans.
Scientists found 7 coronaviruses in 48 samples, six of which were previously unknown to science. Additional research will determine whether the detected viruses are dangerous to humans. Many of the coronaviruses only affect animals.
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