The emergence of bat-borne zoonotic viruses (including HeV, NiV, Ebola, Marburg, and SARS) has had a significant impact on public health and the global economy during the past few decades. With the rapidly expanding knowledge of virus diversity in bat populations around the world, it is predicted that more bat-borne zoonotic viruses are likely to emerge in the future. The discovery of a novel ebolavirus-like filovirus in Spanish microbats demonstrates that the potential for such spill over events is not limited to Africa or Asia [39] . It is therefore important to enhance our preparedness to counter future outbreaks by conducting active pre-emergence research into surveillance, triggers for cross-species transmission, and the science of identification of potential pathogens.