Identification of Likely Natural Hosts for Equine Morbillivirus

We describe the isolation of a paramyxovirus from three species of flying fox in Queensland. The species are Pteropus alecto (black flying fox), Pteropus scapulatus (little red flying fox) and Pteropus poliocephalus (grey headed flying fox). The virus appears to be identical to the equine morbillivirus which was associated with acute equine respiratory syndrome and two human deaths in two Queensland outbreaks. The isolation of this new virus suggests that flying foxes may be the natural host for the virus that causes acute equine respiratory syndrome. Comm Dis Intell 1996;20:476.