Ebola-related virus discovered in bats in Hungary!
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Hungarian researchers detected and isolated the so-called Lloviu virus in bats in Hungary. In laboratory conditions, the virus can infect humans. But in nature, all viruses behave differently. There are a lot of questions, but nobody should be afraid of a pandemic. The discovery is nothing more than a scientific achievement, experts highlighted. Furthermore, we know that it cannot cause infections similar to the Ebola or Marburg viruses.
Nobody should be afraid of the new virus
According to 24.hu, experts are constantly searching for new viruses that might cause similar pandemics as the coronavirus did in the past two years. After seven years of hard work, Hungarian researchers identified a filovirus called Lloviu. That is a distant European relative of the Ebola. However, researchers found the virus in bats living far away from any human settlements in Hungary.
Nobody should be concerned because the virus endangers only bats at the moment.
Researchers are now examining whether it can cause human illnesses. 24.hu asked virologist Gábor Kemenesi, the senior researcher of the János Szentágothai Research Centre at the University of Pécs. He is also the leader of the Lloviu team.
Researchers have to examine it
Mr Kemenesi said that the virus was previously identified in Italy and is probably present in every country where bent-wing bats live. However, according to their current knowledge, nobody should be concerned about a possible pandemic. The researchers isolated the new virus and are now examining whether it can infect human cells. But even if it does, that does not mean it could infect a human body.
They are working together with American colleagues and found that the new virus cannot cause illnesses like the Ebola or Marburg.
They published their findings in Plos Pathogens. The virus is now on the long list of pathogens that need to be examined to avoid the outbreak of a possible pandemic.