By Rachael Rettner, Senior Writer | April 16, 2014
Bats' ability to fly may protect them against becoming ill with a range of viruses known to be deadly to humans, including Ebola and rabies, according to a new hypothesis.
In recent years, a number of new diseases that have caused severe illnesses in people have been traced back to bats. Bats are the suspected source of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus, Ebola, Marburg virus, Hendra virus, and most recently Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, to name a few.
In fact, bats are reservoirs formore than 60 viruses that can infect people, according to a 2013 study. The animals host more viruses per species than rodents. [5 Most Likely Real-Life Contagions]
According to the new hypothesis, flight may be the key factor in preventing the animals from falling ill, despite carrying so many viruses.
"Daily high body temperatures [from flying] thus might arm bats against some pathogens during the early stages of infection," they said.
Some viruses may have evolved with bats to be more tolerant of higherbody temperatures. Although these viruses aren't harmful to bats, they could cause desease when they cross over to other animals, as the viruses would be able to survive a wider range of temperatures, the researchers said.
Still, researchers won't know whether the hypothesis is true until they test it. One experiment would be to examine the immune response of bats at rest and after flying, and look at whether the immune response to viruses is stronger after flight, according to the paper, from researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey in Fort Collins, Colo., and the Zoological Society of London, among others.
Follow Rachael Rettner @RachaelRettner. Follow Live Science @livescience,Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
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