Are Bats Causing a New Deadly Disease to Spread?

        After killing a man in Saudi Arabia and another similar disease hospitalizing a man in Qatar, scientists are left wondering how these new diseases got transmitted and if the two cases are related. Reading the article called "Worrying New Zoonotic Coronavirus" on Medical News Today explains about a new disease surfacing in the Asian area. The full article can be found here which was written on November 23rd, 2012.

        Scientists have found a new deadly virus that is very closely related to a virus found in bats. This is causing people to study this disease found in bats very closely to compare similarities and find cures. A member of the Erasmus Medical Center says "The virus is most closely related to viruses in bats found in Asia, and there are no human viruses closely related to it." This makes others believe it comes from an animal source.

         The case in which the man in Saudi Arabia died the man suffered from acute pneumonia and kidney failure before his death. This reminded public health authorities of a pathogen in 2002 with similar qualities that killed over 900 people. After this case another case emerged with the same conditions. The two diseases where close matches when examined with only a .3%-.4% difference.

           These diseases came up most closely resembling a virus within the Betacoronavirus genus which is found in bats In Asia. Scientists are also seeing a similarity with a disease found in bats in the Netherlands but aren’t fully sure yet. Medical authorities believe that since Hospitals had no antibodies to this virus that this virus is new to humans. They also believe bats could be the source as there are a lot of bats in Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries. They are also looking in to see if this disease has multiple sources or only one. "Whether we would need antivirals and vaccines? Well, I certainly hope not," says Fouchier.

           I think this article raises some good concerns. New viruses can be extremely dangerous if no research is done. If someone has already died from this, what makes it that no one else will? With diseases that killed I think it is crucial for that virus to be examined and studied so we can make sure it doesn’t spread or at least can’t kill.

          From what I’ve learned in class vaccines can be the best bet to prevent disease from spreading. While this disease is still new I think a main priority should be to find a vaccine once more information is gathered and kill this virus before it can start spreading in mass amounts.

          I am curious to what information on this virus is discovered in the future and if it poses a real threat to society. Should this virus become more known to prepare people for it, or should it be more concealed because it could be nothing?