Study: Ebola-like viruses 'could spill over' to humans

Arteriviruses have been studied in pigs and horses, but the versions that target nonhuman primates are less understood. [iStockphoto]

A family of viruses that can cause fatal Ebola-like symptoms that is also a critical threat to macaque populations is now "poised for spillover" to humans, a new report reveals.

The study, published in September in the journal Cell, reveals that the animal virus has found ways to access human cells, multiply and evade parts of the immune system that defend people against sickness. Scientists note that this is "pretty rare."