Cloning and Characterizing Cytokine Genes from Seba's Short-tailed Bat ( Carollia perspicillata)

Abstract

Bats (order Chiroptera) represent nearly one fifth of the approximately 5,000 known species of mammals, yet many aspects of their biology are poorly understood. Bats of certain species are well known reservoirs of Rabies virus but within the past few years bats have been identified as reservoirs or potential reservoirs of several important human and livestock pathogens. Among these are severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, Nipah and Hendra paramyxoviruses, several lyssaviruses, and both Marburg virus and an ebolaviruses.