(Wired) Some of the planet’s scariest, most lethal viruses find a natural refuge inside bats, including Ebola, rabies, Marburg and the SARS coronavirus. Many high-profile epidemics have been traced to bats, and scientists are discovering new bat-borne viruses all the time.
The animals seem especially adept at harboring and spreading disease. Scientists trying to understand why have found some promising leads in bat genomes, but others argue bats’ notoriety as viral carriers isn’t justified.
