Origin of MERS Virus May Be From Bats

Researchers now believe that the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) may have been found in batsin Saudi Arabi, according to a recent study.

Researchers looked at samples from bats that were living 7 miles away from the home of the first person known to be infected with the virus, which was found in one of the bats and was 100 percent identical to the MERS virus seen in people.

"There have been several reports of finding MERS-like viruses in animals. None were a genetic match. In this case, we have a virus in an animal that is identical in sequence to the virus found in the first human case. Importantly, it's coming from the vicinity of that first case," study researcher Dr. W. Ian Lipkin, director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, said in a statement.

In September 2012, MERS first appeared and has since infected 94 people and caused approximately 46 deaths according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

The researchers found that bats known to be reservoirs of other viruses can actually infect those with rabies and SARS, including those that have severe respiratory illness and that may be have sickened over 8,000 and killed nearly 800 in Southeast Asia in 2002 and 2003.

The researchers suspect that the bats may infect other animals and in turn infect people.

More information regarding the study can be found in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.