Another Reason to Fear Bats: Influenza

CDC scientists have discovered a novel influenza A virus in little yellow-shouldered bats in two areas of Guatemala. They report in the new PNAS that the novel hemagglutinin (HA) is called H17 and is thought to have diverged when other HAs did while the neuraminidase (NA) appears unrelated to known NAs. They were unable to grow the fruit bat virus in cell cultures or chicken embryos but suggest that it "is compatible for genetic exchange with human influenza viruses in human cells." Great, a new pandemic threat.

UPDATE: Very informative post on the subject by @aetiology

Sources:
1) Tong S. et al. PNAS 27 Feb 2012
2) Gewin V. Nature News 27 Feb 2012