News Animals

Bats might be the next bird flu wild card

Vampire bats in Peru show signs of past H5N1 infection

A close-up image of a vampire bat looking right at the camera .

Vampire bats, named after mythical creatures that rise from the dead to feed on the blood of the living, are the latest mammals susceptible to bird flu.

I-Ting Tu

By Jane Qiu

Lima, Peru — Bats have become the latest mammals susceptible to H5N1, the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus responsible for bird flu.