Study reveals interplay of an African bat, a parasite and a virus – News

Study reveals interplay of an African bat, a parasite and a virus

Photo of a forest bat netted in Uganda. The bat hosts a parasite – a large wingless, eyeless fly – that in turn seems to be host for a newfound virus. New work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison is helping unravel the ecological interplay of important pathogens and their hosts. After testing, the bat was released unharmed. (Courtesy Tony Goldberg)

The role of bat parasites in maintaining chains of viral infection is little studied, and the new study serves up some intriguing insights into how viruses co-opt parasites to help do the dirty work of disease transmission.