Bats carry dangerous viruses without getting sick. This may be why

Scientists discovered that more than 500 species of vesper bats possess two separate sets of antibody genes, an immune arrangement never before found in mammals. The surprising system could help explain how bats tolerate so many viruses without becoming seriously ill. Bats carry dangerous viruses without getting sick. This may be why.

Researchers at Tulane University, working with collaborators at Stanford University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may now have identified part of the answer. A study published in Science Advances found that the world’s largest family of bats carries two distinct copies of the genes involved in producing antibodies. These specialized proteins help the immune system identify and fight infections.

Every other known mammal has only one such set of genes. The finding gives scientists a new way to think about how immune systems evolved and how different animals respond to disease.