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Hendra virus
Flying foxes among us
Around 5,000 or so grey-headed flying foxes, often called fruit bats, currently have two main camps - one near Naracoorte and the other around Mount Burr. The flying foxes can carry the deadly Lyssavirus and Hendra virus - anyone scratched or bitten must seek urgent medical attention. Even dead bats are considered too dangerous to touch…
Hendra virus confirmed in flying foxes in broad region of Australia
Scientists at CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, have uncovered a new type of Hendra virus in flying foxes, confirming the virus can be found across a broad region of the country. A paper detailing the findings has been published just days after the new genetic type (HeV-g2) was detected in a horse near Newcastle in New South Wales, the most southern case of Hendra yet recorded.