Bird flu, pig flu, now bat flu? The Human risk is unclear
A new subtype of the virus is discovered in Central American bats.
Little yellow-shouldered bats in Guatemala have been found to harbour a strain of influenza virus. Fruit bats in Guatemala are hosting a novel subtype of influenza A virus, according to a study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The virus — designated H17 — appears to have diverged from known influenza viruses long ago, shedding light on their evolution. Therefore, it seems to pose no immediate threat to humans. However, it is similar enough to other subtypes that genetic exchange with them could pose a risk. “We can’t say don’t worry about it, nor can we say it’s not dangerous. We just don’t know yet,” says study co-author Ruben Donis, chief of molecular virology and vaccines in the influenza division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.
Donis and his colleagues are now testing bats in South America, Africa and Asia to document the geographical distribution of influenza — the first step towards determining whether bats are a reservoir behind outbreaks in humans.
“We are far away from speculating on any pandemic potential of this virus, but finding this ancient influenza subtype stresses again that bats are an important source of animal viruses,” says Ab Osterhaus, head of virology at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, who was not involved in the work.
Bats have come in for scrutiny in recent years after being linked to the emergence of Ebola virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and nipah virus. “With more than 1,200 known species, bats are the second-largest mammal group, so it’s not surprising that they carry a large diversity of viruses,” says Jon Epstein, a veterinary epidemiologist at EcoHealth Alliance in New York. “Finding older lineages of influenza in bats doesn’t necessarily increase the risk of influenza emerging into human populations, but it does help us understand the diversity of flu viruses in nature and how genes may be swapped between strains and species.”
PROBE POWER:
Donis and his colleagues began developing molecular probes to detect viruses about eight years ago. At the CDC Field Detection Center in Guatemala, they used the probes to first screen for the presence of rabies virus in bats in 2009 and 2010. Then the samples were screened for other viruses, including influenza. Of 316 bats sampled from 21 species across eight locations, three little yellow-shouldered bats (Sturnira lilium) tested positive for H17.
“This study highlights the power of using generic PCR probes to broadly screen for and discover new viruses in new hosts — something that can be done at labs throughout the world,” says Epstein.
Ideally, Osterhaus says, the community will create an inventory of viruses identified in bat species to better determine the potential for viral spread to other mammals, including humans. “It is unfortunate that we are being blocked at the moment from publishing data on transmissibility of an avian influenza virus, which is crucial information we need for not just influenza viruses but for all emerging viruses,” he adds.
What is not yet clear is how influenza is transmitted between the bats. “We think the intestinal tract, where we found the highest concentration of the virus, is the target organ — suggesting infection may be the result of oral–faecal transmission,” says Donis.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESS START-UPS IN GALWAY
High potential start-ups in areas including medical devices, cloud computing and software applications are being sought as part of a jobs initiative to be launched in Galway today.
Galway Mayo Institute of Technology is to open the “New Frontiers” entrepreneur recruitment campaign- as part of the Government’s Action Plan on Jobs.
GMIT is one of 13 institutes nationwide offering the programme which aims to help people start their own business.
It aims to deliver 100 new companies a year and is being rolled out in conjunction with Enterprise Ireland.
An open evening will be held at the GMIT Innovation Centre tomorrow week March 6th with sessions at 5.30 and 7pm.
NUIG and HP launch MSc in Cloud Computing Research
HP’s Dr Chris Coughlan, and NUI Galway’s president Jim Browne, Dr Tom Acton and Dr Emer Mulligan at NUIG and HP launch MSc in Cloud Computing Research
NUI Galway and HP have launched a new Master of Science degree in Cloud Computing Research which offers a programme of advanced research on the business-focused aspects of cloud computing.
The degree was designed by the JE Cairnes School of Business and Economics at NUI Galway with HP Galway’s Cloud Services Innovation Centre.
It’s available through a one-year full-time or two-year part-time research-based course which begins in September 2012.
“Through direct dialogue with key industry partners such as Hewlett-Packard, Information Mosaic and others, we constructed this degree to meet the needs of these and other companies moving into the cloud space, and to provide a vehicle for the realisation of knowledge-intensive research into cloud computing,” said Dr Tom Action of NUI Galway, who created the course.
Applicants should already be working in the ICT sector or tech-related role in other sectors with a qualifying degree with related experience. Alternatively, they can hold an undergraduate degree containing information systems, technology management or an equivalent.
The field was identified by the Government, Forfás and the IDA as one of the best potential high-value growth areas for Ireland which could create jobs for the country.
“This innovative and international master’s degree is a critical support component in developing and sustaining Ireland’s smart economy ahead of the curve, and in the creation of high-value employment within Ireland,” said Dr Chris Coughlan, manager of HP’s Worldwide Cloud Service Innovation Centre.
The mentally-ill are at greater risk of violence According to new re-search
Adults with disabilities are at heightened risk of violence, with those suffering from mental illness appearing to be particularly vulnerable to violent attacks, according to new research.
This is the first study to show the extent of this problem among people with disabilities.
The researchers concluded that disabled adults are more likely to be victims of violence than those without a disability.
They found that adults with mental health problems are nearly four times as likely to be a victim of violent acts than those without a disability.
Researchers analysed 26 studies involving over 21,500 people with disabilities in seven countries including Australia and Canada.
They found that the occurrence of a recent violent attack was high in adults with a mental illness – at ust over 24% and those with intellectual disabilities, where the prevalance was just over 6%.
Dr Mark Bellis from Liverpool John Moores University, who led the research, said the number of people with disabilities who have experienced violence, are directly threatened with violence or living in fear of becoming a victim are likely to be considerably higher than estimated in the study.
The research is published in The Lancet.
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