Scientists find bat virus in humans

[L Roebuck]

CSIRO goes into bat on virus origin
GEELONG scientists have discovered the likely cause of a new virus in humans.

A CSIRO team, working closely with researchers in Malaysia, has found bats are the likely host of the Melaka virus.

The virus causes serious harm, with victims showing signs of fever and acute respiratory illness, but scientists believe it is not deadly.

Geelong's CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory and the National Public Health Laboratory in Malaysia made the discovery.

The breakthrough finding has been published in the new edition of internationally-recognised journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States of America .

Geelong Advertiser

[L Roebuck]

Scientists find bat virus in humans

In a rare find, Australian scientists have discovered a new virus that is thought to have jumped the species barrier from bats to humans.

The melaka virus is not believed to be a killer virus, but its symptoms of fever and respiratory illness are severe and it is easily passed on to others.

Scientists from the CSIRO and Malaysia's National Public Health Laboratory have reported the new virus in the American journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Named after the Malaysian region in which it was found, the melaka virus represents a new trend of infectious diseases coming from animals, known as zoonotic viruses.

ABC News

[L Roebuck]

Here's a portion of an article from Scientific American.com on this topic...

Bat flu

You're sitting at home watching television, when suddenly a bat flies in the open door of your home, flutters about frantically for a few minutes, then leaves. Days later, you develop a high fever and acute respiratory illness--a week after that your children are sick too.

Such was the predicament of a Malaysian man who appears to be the first ever recorded case of a bat to human transmission of a virus - frightening stuff, given that bats can carry the SARS, Nipah and Hendra viruses.

(To zoonotic viruses like this one, the boundaries between species are fuzzy, whether it's AIDS' origins in chimpanzees or the ever-present threat of a mutant strain of Bird Flu.)

[Azurerana]

Are we *really sure* bats aren't just little humans with wings?

[Brian Roebuck]

If so they's ugly and their momma dressed 'em funny!

[jonsdigs]

Bat-borne virus' name offends Malaysian state
The Associated Press
Published: July 1, 2007

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: The Malaysian state of Melaka is upset that scientists have named a new bat-borne virus after it, news reports said Sunday.

Australian and Malaysian scientists announced last week they discovered a new virus likely carried by bats that can cause respiratory illness in humans. They called it the Melaka Virus, using the name of the southern Malaysian state where the virus was isolated in early 2006 in a human patient.

Chief Minister Ali Rustam said Saturday the state does not want to be associated with the virus and called the name choice "an insult" to Melaka, which is a popular tourist destination because of its historical sites.

"Melaka is a good state, beautiful and peaceful, not the birthplace of diseases," The Star daily quoted him as saying.

Full Story

[L Roebuck]

Bat virus renamed after protests from Malaysia state

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - Malaysia will rename a newly-discovered bat-borne virus following an angry protest from the state it was named after, reports said Monday.

Malaysian and Australian scientists recently announced that they had discovered a virus believed to be carried by bats that causes serious respiratory illness in humans.

Malaysian health authorities decided to name it "Melaka virus" after it infected a family of four in southern Malacca state in March last year.

State officials objected, saying it was "an insult" and would harm the tourism industry in Malacca which is a popular destination for foreign visitors.

Full Article

[Brian Roebuck]

I guess I can see the point of the people living there. Who wants a virus named after where you live? I hope they don't name it after the bats that may carry it along with many other mammals I am sure.