The bat mumps virus was first isolated from a fruit bat in the Democratic Republic of Congo and is closely related to the mumps virus in the Rubulavirus genus. Some paramyxoviruses have been discovered to have the ability to affect humans, so there is high zoonotic potential that BMV can affect humans due to the similarity between that and the human mumps virus. Specifically, the fusion protein and hemagglutinin and neuraminidase proteins of the envelope have been recognized to be similar, both serologically and functionally, between the two viruses. These proteins are the targets of the neutralizing antibodies, and due to the similarities between the two viruses, there is cross-neutralization. Neutralizing antibodies are important in protecting against the virus, and it has been noted that people who have antibodies from a vaccine or infection of human mumps virus are able to neutralize the bat-borne mumps virus in an efficient manner. In other words, the vaccine for human mumps appears to reduce the risk of infection from the bat mumps virus.
