Bats ‘pose no greater viral threat’ to humans than other species'.

And insightful article by Amy Barrett from the BBC Science Focus Magazine has reported that the idea that certain creatures such as bats pose a higher risk of spreading viruses to humans may not be accurate, new research suggests.

Scientists have found that the risk of zoonotic viruses – diseases that spread from animals to infect humans – spreading to people is largely the same across diverse groups of animals.

The findings cast doubt on the idea that bats, thought to have been the origin of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 which led to the current pandemic, produce viruses with a “heightened propensity” to infect humans.

The study, led by the University of Glasgow, found that the proportion of zoonotic viruses does not differ significantly across 11 major orders of birds and mammals.

Scientists now believe that it is the characteristic traits of the viruses, rather than their animal hosts, that will be the more useful predictors of zoonotic transmission.

To read the full article - click HERE.