A study published in Nature found few well-nourished bats carry detectable levels of Hendra virus, but blood samples from emaciated bats had high levels of the virus, which can cause fatal infections in horses and people. The researchers found bats are more likely to be carrying Hendra when a lack of winter flowers creates a nectar shortage, and they suggest that planting winter-flowering trees, which also provide koala habitat, could prevent spillover of Hendra and perhaps other viruses.
