How bats avoid disease caused by the Coronavirus
Bats can transmit the corona virus without being ill themselves. A recent study tried to find possible reasons for this. The Virus and the cells of bats seem to each other to adapt, which leads to a protective effect.
In the current investigation of the University of Saskatchewan (Canada) was to investigate why bats corona viruses without becoming ill. The results of the study were published in the English scientific journal “Scientific Reports”.
Bats do not fall ill yourself to corona virus
It is assumed that the corona-causing viruses such as MERS, SARS and, more recently, the COVID19-end of Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 originated in bats, report the researchers. Although the above-mentioned viruses can cause people severe and often even deadly diseases, not seem to be bats not yet well-understood reasons, which are themselves to be sick.
Immune responses of bats is not switched off
The bats, the Virus does not get rid of, but you do not get the disease anyway. The researchers therefore tried to figure out why MERS Virus turns off the immune responses of bats as in humans.
How to protect the animals?
The Team has shown for the first Time, that cells of an insect-eating may be infected brown bat over months persistent with the MERS Coronavirus, as important adaptations to interact with both the bat as well as from the Virus. Instead of the cells of the bat to kill, as it is the Virus with the human cell does, the MERS-Coronavirus is a long-term relationship with the bats, which due to the unique Super-immune system of the bat is maintained, explain the researchers. It is likely that SARS-CoV-2 works the same way.
Why is spreading the Virus more and more on other types?
The loss of habitats and various diseases could play a role in why the Coronavirus from bats spreads to other species. If a bat undergoes Stress for your immune system, disturbs this equilibrium between immune system and Virus and allows the Virus to multiply, the Team reported. The MERS Coronavirus could also adapt very quickly to certain niches and to transfer, therefore, of type type to be.
Cells of bats adapt to the Virus
When bat cells are exposed to the MERS Virus, adjust. This does not happen, by producing inflammation-causing proteins, which are core characters for a disease, but you will get a natural anti-viral reaction is maintained. This is switched off in the case of other species, including humans, by a Virus, not jedoh at bats. At the same time, the MERS Virus also adapts to the bat to host cells, by it mutates very quickly to a specific Gene, says the research group.
Adjustments to make the Virus harmless
If these adjustments work together, to lead you that the Virus remains in the long term, in the bat, but harmless is made – so long to this delicate balance, for example, by disease or other stress factors is disturbed, according to the research team. Bats can live with the Virus, developing a disease, without acute. (as)