Abstract
Bats are a reservoir for coronaviruses (CoVs) that periodically spill over to humans, as evidenced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and SARS-CoV-2. A collection of 174 bat samples originating from South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska submitted for rabies virus testing due to human exposure were analyzed using a pan-coronavirus PCR. A previously partially characterized CoV, Eptesicus bat CoV, was identified in 12 (6.9%) samples by nested RT-PCR. Six near-complete genomes were determined. Genetic analysis found a high similarity between all CoV-positive samples, Rocky Mountain bat CoV 65 and alphacoronavirus HCQD-2020 recently identified in South Korea. Phylogenetic analysis of genome sequences showed EbCoV is closely related to bat CoV HKU2 and swine acute diarrhea syndrome CoV; however, topological incongruences were noted for the spike gene that was more closely related to porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. Similar to some alphaCoVs, a novel gene, ORF7, was discovered downstream of the nucleocapsid, whose protein lacked similarity to known proteins. The widespread circulation of EbCoV with similarities to bat viruses that have spilled over to swine warrants further surveillance.
Highlights
Coronaviruses (CoVs) are enveloped, positive-sense RNA viruses in the family Coronaviridae, of the order Nidovirales [1]
Phylogenetic analysis was performed for genome sequences and for each gene individually, including species in the genera Alphacoronavirus, with SARS-CoV-2 included as an outgroup representing Betacoronavirus
Recombination analysis was performed for Eptesicus bat coronavirus (EbCoV) and reference sequences for porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), HCoV-NL63, HCoV-229E, bat CoV strain HKU2, Bat CoV strain 1A, canine coronavirus (CCoV), feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV), and transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV)
Summary
Coronaviruses (CoVs) are enveloped, positive-sense RNA viruses in the family Coronaviridae, of the order Nidovirales [1]. While four of the known coronaviruses infecting humans, HCoV-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-HKU1, cause mild respiratory symptoms, the deadly outbreaks of MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 demonstrate the need for coronavirus surveillance [11]. A pan-coronavirus PCR-based study of seven bat species collected from four sites in the Rocky Mountain region identified three distinct clusters of alpha-CoVs based on sequencing of a 440 nt region of the RdRp domain [15]. One of these CoVs, Rocky Mountain bat CoV 65, was identified from Eptesicus fuscus, while the remaining CoV-positive bats belonged to the genera Myotis. Phylogenetic analyses revealed evolutionary relationships to bat, livestock, and companion animal CoVs
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
