Infectious MARV was recently isolated from Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) in Uganda, indicating that this species is susceptible to MARV infection and potentially acts as the natural reservoir of the virus . Phylogenetic analysis showed that viruses in the bats were closely related to those isolated from victims of the 2007 MARV outbreak in Uganda, providing the first evidence for an epidemiological link between viruses in bats and hemorrhagic fever outbreak in humans. On the other hand, EBOV has not been isolated from any bat species. During the 2001-2003 EBOV outbreaks in Gabon and DRC, however, fruit bats (Hypsignathus monstrosus, Epomops franqueti, and Myonycteris torquata) captured in the outbreak area were found to have EBOV genomic RNA and virus-specific antibodies , suggesting they are potential natural reservoirs for EBOV. However, it is still unclear whether these bats continuously maintain EBOV and/or MARV and act as a potential source of filovirus transmission to humans.