Alphacoronavirus in urban Molossidae and Phyllostomidae bats, Brazil.

Karen Miyuki Asano,Willian Oliveira Fahl,Aline Santana Hora,Keila Iamamoto,Paulo Eduardo Brandão,Karin Côrrea Scheffer,Enio Mori

doi:10.1186/s12985-016-0569-4

Abstract

BackgroundBats have been implicated as the main reservoir of coronavirus (CoV). Thus the role of these hosts on the evolution and spread of CoVs currently deserve the attention of emerging diseases surveillance programs. On the view of the interest on and importance of CoVs in bats the occurrence and molecular characterization of CoV were conducted in bats from Brazil.FindingsThree hundred five enteric contents of 29 bat species were tested using a panCoV nested RT-PCR. Nine specimens were positive and eight was suitable for RdRp gene sequencing. RdRp gene phylogeny showed that all CoVs strains from this study cluster in Alphacoronavirus genus, with one Molossidae and one Phlyllostomidae-CoV specific groups. Phylogenetic analyses of two S gene sequences showed a large diversity within the Alphacoronavirus genus.ConclusionsThis study indicated a CoV-to-host specificity and draws attention for CoV detection in Cynomops sp, a potential new reservoir. The phylogenetic analyses indicate that diversity of CoV in bats is higher than previously known.

Highlights

Bats have been implicated as the main reservoir of coronavirus (CoV)
Bats have been recognized as the natural reservoirs of a large variety of emerging and re-emerging viruses and have been implicated as the main reservoir of coronavirus (CoV)
CoV (Nidovirales:Coronaviridae:Coronavirinae) are classified into four genus: Alpha and Betacoronavirus are often found in mammals, while Gammacoronavirus were detected in wild birds, poultry, and marine mammals and Deltacoronavirus were detected in wild birds, pigs, and wild feline [3,4,5]

Summary

Introduction

Bats have been implicated as the main reservoir of coronavirus (CoV). The role of these hosts on the evolution and spread of CoVs currently deserve the attention of emerging diseases surveillance programs. The role of these hosts on the evolution and spread of CoVs currently deserve the attention of emerging diseases surveillance programs as illustrated by the finding of bats as reservoirs for SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Syndrome) coronavirus [1, 2]. Betacoronavirus has been reported in a Desmodus rotundus vampire bat and Alphacoronaviruses have been detected in Molosuss rufus, M. currentium, M. molossus, Carollia perspicillata, C. brevicauda and Tadarida brasilensis bats (14–18), but a range of bat species that might act as reservoirs for known or unknown CoVs still remains to be surveyed

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