Which species is considered the primary reservoir for EMV?

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Multiple Choice

Which species is considered the primary reservoir for EMV?

The main concept is that a primary reservoir is the natural host in which a pathogen persists in nature and from which it can spill over to other species. For EMV, fruit bats are the natural reservoir because they carry the virus with little to no illness and shed it in saliva, urine, and feces. This ongoing presence in bat populations allows the virus to be introduced into other species, such as horses, through environmental exposure (for example, contamination of fruit or feeding areas). Horses can become infected and develop disease, but they do not maintain the virus in the population. Cattle and pigs may be involved in spillover for some pathogens but are not the primary reservoirs for EMV. Therefore, fruit bats are the best fit as the primary reservoir.

The main concept is that a primary reservoir is the natural host in which a pathogen persists in nature and from which it can spill over to other species. For EMV, fruit bats are the natural reservoir because they carry the virus with little to no illness and shed it in saliva, urine, and feces. This ongoing presence in bat populations allows the virus to be introduced into other species, such as horses, through environmental exposure (for example, contamination of fruit or feeding areas). Horses can become infected and develop disease, but they do not maintain the virus in the population. Cattle and pigs may be involved in spillover for some pathogens but are not the primary reservoirs for EMV. Therefore, fruit bats are the best fit as the primary reservoir.

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