Are Bats Really “special” as Viral Reservoirs? What We Know and Need to Know
نویسندگان
چکیده
The notion that bats are “special” or “unique” as reservoir hosts for viral pathogens has recently become in vogue in both the media and scientific literature (Dobson, 2005; Wang et al., 2011; Olival et al., 2012; Luis et al., 2013; O’Shea et al., 2014). This was initially based on the relatively recent finding that a number of high‐profile zoonotic viruses (such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS‐CoV), Ebola and Marburg viruses, and Hendra and Nipah viruses) have bat origins. It has been further developed through the hypothesis that the life history traits of bats compared to other mammals may make them unique and exceptional hosts for viruses (Luis et al., 2013; O’Shea et al., 2014), and with the finding that they harbor more viruses than some other groups of mammals (Luis et al., 2013). However, claims of bats being “special” as viral reservoirs are often made in isolation, without a proper comparative approach that includes data from a wide array of animal taxonomic groups. In this chapter, we extend our previously published preliminary analysis of this issue (Olival et al., 2012), and take a critical and objective look at what may, or may not, make bats “special” as disease reservoirs. ARE BATS REALLY “SPECIAL” AS VIRAL RESERVOIRS? WHAT WE KNOW AND NEED TO KNOW
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