In a new study, scientists have discovered 20 new viruses in the bats of Yunnan province in China.

Two of these viruses are genetically similar to a deadly virus called Handra and Nipa, causing an outbreak of serious illness in humans and animals in the past.

Research was published in the magazine plos pathogens reviewed by colleagues. This included collecting kidney tissue samples from 142 bats between 2017 and 2021.

Scientists used genetic testing to identify viruses, bacteria and even a new parasite – all unknown to science.

Why do these conclusions matter

Some newly found viruses were present in the kidney of the bats. This is particularly worrying because kidneys produce urine, which can contaminate fruits or water if bats urinate near gardens or water sources.

People who eat or drink contaminated items can then be at risk of infection.

“These viruses are particularly related because they were mainly found in bat kidney, increasing the alarm about the potential human risk through contaminated fruits or water,” molecular virologist Professor Vinod Balasubramaniam asked Maminah University in Australia.

Two newly discovered Henipwirus is named Yunnan Bat Henipwirus 1 and 2. They share about 52% to 57% of their genetic content with known and deadly Harendra and Nipa viruses.

In previous outbreaks, these viruses have caused brain infection and high mortality in both people and animals.

Where were these bats found?

In this study, bats were discovered by roasting near the fruit gardens close to the villages of rural Yunnan. It risks that their urine can contaminate fruits that people or farm animals can eat, leading to increased chances of jumping virus from bats to humans, a process called spillover.

Why Bat Kidney Study?

The first bat virus was focused on the bat virus. But this study was seen inside bats, especially their kidneys, to find out what type of viruses and germs live there.

Scientists say that this field of bat biology has not been well studied, even though there can be a major role in the kidneys how diseases spread.

Bats are known to carry several viruses that can infect people. In fact, bats have been linked to the spread of diseases such as Ebola, Sars, Mers and even Covid-19.

These viruses can reach humans directly or through other animals, often through food or water contaminated with bat.

Other new creatures found

Apart from 22 viruses (20 of them completely new), scientists also found:

• A new single-cell parasit
• Two common bacterial species, one of which, has never been described before, now called flavobacterium yunnansis

These discoveries suggest that bats can carry a wide mixture of micro -organisms, many of which we still do not understand.

What does it mean to move forward

Scientists say their findings explain why it is important to study the entire range of germs inside the bats, not only in their drops.

Understanding what batt organs like kidney can help scientists to make better prediction and prevent outbreak of future disease.

Balasubramaniam said that the Yunnan region has climate similar to areas where Neepah outbreaks like Malaysia had occurred earlier. This makes it even more important to keep a close watch on wildlife in the region.

Experts believe that such more studies need to monitor the spread of new viruses in animals before they get a chance to reach humans.