Mystery Virus Tied to Bats in Saudi Arabia

Health officials confirmed that bats in Saudi Arabia were the main source of the mysterious virus that inflicted 96 patients in the Middle East and killed 47, according to a report released on Wednesday.

The outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS has been going on for the past 15 months with victims falling ill in Saudi Arabia and others getting sick after traveling to the Middle East, a source told NY Times.

An international team of doctors blamed coronavirus in bats for the human outbreak, but said that a lot of questions still remain unanswered, according to a study released on Wednesday.

The research showed that only one bat among 100 bats proved to be a perfect match for the virus and since bats do not normally bite or drool on fruit and other things that might transmit the disease to people, the results of the research has not yet been finalized.

"So it is possible that victims, like shepherds who might seek shelter in the buildings, picked it up by breathing in dried bat guano - similar to the way that Americans have been infected with hantavirus while sweeping up dried mouse droppings," said Dr. John Jonathan H. Epstein, a veterinarian with the EcoHealth Alliance.

"Further tests on camels, sheep, goats and cow will be finished soon," said Dr. W. Ian Lipkin, head of Columbia University's Center for Infection and Immunity.