A brand new flu virus has been found in Peruvian bats, according to a new study from researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The virus, called A/bat/Peru/10, belongs to a family of flu viruses known as influenza A, which mainly infect birds, but can also infect other animals, including people.
According to the Huffington Post, the numbers in H18N11 refer to the hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N) proteins found in the virus. The proteins in the H18N11 virus were so different from anything the researchers had previously encountered that they were compelled to designate it as a new influenza virus entirely.
Preliminary tests by the researchers at the CDC suggest that the virus is not a concern for people, as of now, according to researcher Ruben Donis, the associate director of Policy, Evaluation and Preparedness at the CDC's Influenza Division.
The virus, called A/bat/Peru/10, belongs to a family of flu viruses known as influenza A, which mainly infect birds, but can also infect other animals, including people.
According to the Huffington Post, the numbers in H18N11 refer to the hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N) proteins found in the virus. The proteins in the H18N11 virus were so different from anything the researchers had previously encountered that they were compelled to designate it as a new influenza virus entirely.
Preliminary tests by the researchers at the CDC suggest that the virus is not a concern for people, as of now, according to researcher Ruben Donis, the associate director of Policy, Evaluation and Preparedness at the CDC's Influenza Division.
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