Scientists have identified two new viruses in bats, closely related to the deadly Nipah and Hendra viruses, which can trigger severe brain inflammation and respiratory illness in humans.

The findings of this study, along with other newly discovered viruses, bacteria, and parasites in bat kidneys, were published in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Yun Feng and colleagues from the Yunnan Institute of Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, China.

Bats have been identified as natural reservoir hosts for several emerging viruses that can induce severe disease in humans. However, comprehensive studies exploring the full spectrum of viruses, fungi, bacteria, and parasites in bats have been limited, with most research focusing on bat feces rather than internal organs.

In this study, researchers examined the kidneys of 142 bats from ten species, collected over four years in five regions of Yunnan province. Using advanced genetic sequencing, they uncovered 22 viruses, 20 of which were previously unknown.

Among the most alarming discoveries were two new henipaviruses, belonging to the same genus as Nipah and Hendra, detected in fruit bats living near orchards close to human settlements. Given that henipaviruses can spread through urine, the findings raise concerns about potential contamination of fruit and the risk of these viruses transmitting to humans or livestock.

The study also identified a new protozoan parasite, tentatively named Klossiella yunnanensis, and two prevalent bacterial species, including a newly discovered one, Flavobacterium yunnanensis.

“These findings broaden our understanding of the bat kidney infectome, underscore critical zoonotic threats, and highlight the need for comprehensive, full-spectrum microbial analyses of previously understudied organs to better assess spillover risks from bat populations,” the researchers note.

“By analyzing the infectome of bat kidneys collected near village orchards and caves in Yunnan, we uncovered not only the diverse microbes bats carry, but also the first full-length genomes of novel bat-borne henipaviruses closely related to Hendra and Nipah viruses identified in China, raising urgent concerns about the potential for these viruses to spill over into humans or livestock,” they added.

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