Bat flu viruses use a “universal” key to infect cells
Novel influenza A viruses identified in bats in 2012 use a particular, receptor to infect cells, which was unknown until recently. Researchers from University of Zurich have finally discovered its identity. Bad news is that it is not exclusive to bats, but largely diffused among vertebrates. This makes such viruses potentially transmittable to other species and even more likely than other influenza viruses. The research was published in Nature.