- Ozempic Could Help Curb Alcoholism
- AI Helps Spot Brain Tumor Tissue Surgeons Miss
- Psychedelics Like Psilocybin, MDMA Tied to Higher Odds for Schizophrenia
- Big Post-Election Surge Seen in Online Sales of Morning-After Pills
- Canadian Teen Hospitalized in Critical Condition With Bird Flu
- Liquor, Wine, Beer: Which Comes With the Worst Lifestyle?
- Fatty Liver Disease Now Affects 4 in 10 U.S. Adults
- Good Night’s Sleep Wards Off High Blood Pressure in Teens
- Telehealth Can Help Prevent Suicide in Those at High Risk
- Most Parents Don’t Ask About Unlocked Guns in Homes Their Kids Visit
Deadly Respiratory Infection Took Hold in Bats, Study Says
FRIDAY, Oct. 11A new and deadly respiratory virus in the Middle East was present in bats for a long time before making the leap to humans, a new study indicates.
To learn more about the origins of the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), researchers analyzed the genomes of seven bat species. They found that bat DPP4 genes showed signs of significant adaptation, which suggests that bats have been trying to fight the virus for a long time.
Previous research has shown that MERS uses the DPP4 receptor to enter cells.
The researchers also analyzed the genomes of a number of other mammals and found that the DPP4 genes in bats were under more pressure, with mutations occurring at a faster rate.
This indicates that MERS not only originated in bats but also evolved over an extended length of time in bats before making the jump to infect humans, possibly moving between bats and humans through another species.
The study was published online Oct. 10 in the Virology Journal.
More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about MERS.
Source: HealthDay
Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Related
-
-120x134.jpg)
More Hot Flashes Could Mean Higher Odds for Type 2 DiabetesMenopausal women with frequent hot flashes and night sweats...
- November 4, 2024
-
Late-Life Menopause Linked to Higher Asthma RiskWomen who enter menopause at a later age have...
- October 30, 2024
-
Biden Proposes That Insurers Cover Over-the-Counter Birth ControlHealth insurers would be required to cover the cost...
- October 21, 2024
-
Some IUDs May Raise The Odds for Breast Cancer, But Overall Risk Remains LowIntrauterine devices (IUDs) may raise the chances of a...
- October 18, 2024
-200x224.jpg)
