Eight new herpes viruses discovered in bats

Scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research in Berlin and colleagues detected eight new herpes viruses in bats, seven gammaherpesviruses (GHV) and one novel beta herpes virus.

The beta herpes virus appeared to be a distant relative of human cytomegalovirus. These novel viruses are the first herpes viruses to be described in bats.

IZW pathologist Dr. Gudrun Wibbelt says many of the bats that she dissected showed signs of pulmonary disease. She adds; “We cannot rule out that the newly detected herpes viruses are linked to diseases of the lung but we need further studies to clarify the role of these viruses.” Asked if the pathogens may pose a threat to humans, the pathologist says: “Herpes viruses are very host-specific. They evolved closely with their host-species. I think it’s unlikely that herpes viruses from bats cause any diseases in humans.”