India, July 23 -- New research by the University of Sydney is offering important insights into how young bats with multiple infections may drive new coronavirus strains in nature.
Bats host a high diversity of coronaviruses, including betacoronaviruses that have caused outbreaks and pandemics in humans and other species.
Disease risks can emerge as bats' habitat destruction and environmental stressors put them in closer proximity to humans. The research, published in Nature Communications, offers an approach to anticipating the emergence of coronaviruses.
It found young bats are infected more frequently and could be a key source of viral spillover into other species. The study also reveals the dynamics of coronaviruses circulating in Aus...