Approximately 75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonoses, and the rate of emergence of zoonotic diseases is on the rise. Bats are being increasingly recognised as an important reservoir of zoonotic viruses of different families, including SARS coronavirus, Nipah virus, Hendra virus and Ebola virus. Understanding bats’ role in emerging zoonotic diseases is crucial to this rapidly expanding area of research.

Bats and Viruses: A New Frontier of Emerging Infectious Diseases provides an updated overview of research focusing on bat biology and the role bats play as hosts of many major zoonotic viruses. The text covers bat biology, immunology, and genomics. Chapters also delve into the various major bat-borne virus families, including lyssaviruses, paramyxoviruses, coronaviruses, filoviruses and reoviruses, among others.