But the scientists don't believe that bats are responsible for passing the virus to people. Instead, they believe the virus spreads from bats to other animals before being transmitted to people, according to a paper in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Another recently published paper suggests that this intermediary animal could be the dromedary camel, BBC News reported.
MERS-CoV first appear in the Middle East last year. So far, there have been 94 confirmed human cases and 47 deaths.
Americans Warned About Cholera Risk in Cuba
American travelers to Cuba should avoid street food and under- or uncooked dishes such as ceviche to reduce their risk of contracting cholera, says a U.S. government advisory issued Tuesday.
Several foreigners -- an Italian, two Venezuelans and two Chileans -- who visited Cuba were sickened by cholera in late July and early August, according to the Pan American Health Organization, the Associated Press reported.
Last summer, Cuban officials acknowledged a rare outbreak of the waterborne disease. This January, authorities announced 51 new cases of cholera in Havana, but have provided no updates since then.
Cholera can cause death from severe dehydration but is treatable if detected in time, the AP reported.
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