Menu Close

Mammals could harbour 320,000 new viruses

At least 320,000 new and undiscovered viruses could be circulating throughout mammals and awaiting discovery.

A study conducted by Columbia University examined 1,897 samples collected from bats and assessed how many pathogens they carried.

Nearly 70% of viruses that affect humans have their origins in wildlife, and the study suggests future pandemics could be avoided by identifying unknown viruses.

Read more at University of Columbia

Want to write?

Write an article and join a growing community of more than 182,400 academics and researchers from 4,942 institutions.

Register now