New Henipaviruses in China Bats Spark Spillover Alarm
Study finds Nipah- and Hendra-like viruses in orchard-dwelling bats near Chinese villages
Two previously unknown henipaviruses have been detected in bats from China’s Yunnan province, and scientists warn the find could foreshadow the next deadly spillover. The viruses were identified in kidney tissue from 142 fruit-eating bats that forage in village orchards, placing people, horses and livestock within reach of infectious bat urine or half-eaten fruit. Genome analysis shows each virus shares more than half of its genes with Nipah and Hendra, pathogens that kill up to 70 per cent of those infected.
The study, published in PLOS Pathogens by the Yunnan Institute of Endemic Disease Control and Prevention, catalogued 22 viruses—20 of them new to science—alongside a novel bacterium and protozoan parasite. Yet the two henipaviruses dominate concern because their close relatives have already crossed species barriers: Hendra via horses and Nipah directly from bats or through pigs.
No human cases linked to the new strains have been recorded, but researchers call for immediate surveillance. Henipaviruses can spread through urine, saliva and fruit contaminated by bats, offering multiple pathways to infect other hosts. “Finding these viruses in bats that roost and feed beside villages shows the ecological conditions for spillover already exist,” the authors note.
Independent virologists say the discovery underscores the value of mapping the “infectome” of wildlife organs—not just faeces—to spot high-risk microbes early. They add that conserving bat habitat and limiting orchard expansion near roosts could cut human-bat contact and lower the threat.
The World Health Organization already lists Nipah as a priority pathogen for pandemic preparedness. Experts argue the new Yunnan viruses are a timely reminder that expanding agriculture, habitat loss and climate shifts keep the pipeline of emerging diseases open—and vigilance remains humanity’s best defence.
