CANBERRA, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Australian scientists have identified a new virus in flying foxes, marking a significant step in tracking emerging infectious diseases.

The virus, named Salt Gully virus, was detected in bat urine samples collected in the Australian state of Queensland and belongs to the henipavirus family, which includes the deadly Hendra and Nipah viruses, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), the national science agency.

Researchers successfully isolated and grew the virus in CSIRO's Australian Center for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) high containment laboratory in Geelong of the state of Victoria.

Henipaviruses are considered by the World Health Organization to be priority pathogens due to their history of severe outbreaks. However, there is no immediate cause for alarm, said Jennifer Barr, experimental scientist at CSIRO's ACDP, the study's lead author.

Samples show Salt Gully virus has circulated in bats since at least 2011 with no evidence of causing illness in humans or animals, Barr said.

Early laboratory findings suggest the virus infects cells differently from Hendra and Nipah, meaning its potential to cause disease remains unknown, she added.

The discovery will allow scientists to develop diagnostic tests, improving Australia's preparedness if a spillover to humans or livestock occurs, according to the research published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases under the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ■