Scientists in China have raised “urgent concerns” after discovering at least 20 never-before-seen viruses in bats that live in orchards near human populations. They are worried about the risk of contamination to food sources and “the potential for these viruses to spill over into humans or livestock.”

According to the scientists whose discoveries were recently published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, their analysis “identified 22 viral species, including 20 novel viruses, two of which represented newly discovered henipaviruses closely related to the highly pathogenic Hendra and Nipah viruses.”

In the past, both the Nipah and the Hendra viruses have caused deadly outbreaks in humans, Science Daily reports. These viruses can result in severe brain inflammation and respiratory disease.

“Of particular note,” the scientists wrote, “our study identified two novel henipaviruses that cluster within the bat-associated clade of this genus, including the lineage containing the Hendra and Nipah viruses. Nipah virus (NiV) are lethal pathogens that cause severe diseases in humans, including acute respiratory distress and encephalitis, with a mortality rate of 35–75%. Similarly, Hendra virus (HeV) has caused multiple fatal outbreaks in humans and horses, including the death of veterinarians. These viruses are naturally hosted by fruit bats (Pteropus species) and are typically transmitted to humans through bat urine or saliva, often via contamination of food sources.”

The viruses were found in the kidneys of bats inhabiting an orchard near villages. They also discovered a new protozoan parasite, tentatively named Klossiella yunnanensis, and a newly discovered species of bacteria, Flavobacterium yunnanensis.

“These findings broaden our understanding of the bat kidney infectome, underscore critical zoonotic threats, and highlight the need for comprehensive, full-spectrum microbial analyses of previously understudied organs to better assess spillover risks from bat populations,” the authors wrote.

Molecular virologist professor Vinod Balasubramaniam of Australia’s Monash University, who was not involved with the study, told the Science Media Centre, “These viruses are particularly concerning because they were predominantly found in bat kidneys, a site linked to urine production, raising alarm about potential human exposure via contaminated fruits or water.”

However, study co-author Edward Holmes, a virologist at the University of Sydney in Australia, told Live Science, “These newly discovered viruses have not yet been found in humans, and there is currently no evidence that they will ever infect or emerge in humans. In theory, they could pose a threat, but as there are no human cases, there is no need to be concerned.”

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