Detection and characterization of a novel bat-borne coronavirus in Singapore using multiple molecular approaches.

Xiao Fang Lim,Peng Zhou,Lee Ching Ng,Danielle E Anderson,Lin-Fa Wang,October M Sessions,Choon Beng How,Sharon Chan,Xinglou Yang,Zhengli Shi,Sarah Marie Pascoe,Grace Yap,Chengfa Benjamin Lee,Jun Hao Tan

doi:10.1099/jgv.0.001307

Abstract

Bats are important reservoirs and vectors in the transmission of emerging infectious diseases. Many highly pathogenic viruses such as SARS-CoV and rabies-related lyssaviruses have crossed species barriers to infect humans and other animals. In this study we monitored the major roost sites of bats in Singapore, and performed surveillance for zoonotic pathogens in these bats. Screening of guano samples collected during the survey uncovered a bat coronavirus (Betacoronavirus) in Cynopterus brachyotis, commonly known as the lesser dog-faced fruit bat. Using a capture-enrichment sequencing platform, the full-length genome of the bat CoV was sequenced and found to be closely related to the bat coronavirus HKU9 species found in Leschenault’s rousette discovered in the Guangdong and Yunnan provinces.

Highlights

Infectious diseases continue to be a major threat to modern society and coronaviruses (CoVs) are one of the most notable virus families responsible for recent, highly pathogenic viral disease outbreaks
We were unable to distinguish the number of adult and juveniles bats found at the Rifle Range Flyover and East Coast Park, as the bats were roosting under the flyover and on tall trees and our field equipment was unable to capture the information accurately
In 2015 [39], emerging diseases with epidemic potential were identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as targets for outbreak preparedness, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV were both in the list [43]

Summary

Introduction

Infectious diseases continue to be a major threat to modern society and coronaviruses (CoVs) are one of the most notable virus families responsible for recent, highly pathogenic viral disease outbreaks. Over the last two decades, major outbreaks of deadly CoVs have been reported in humans and livestock, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 [1, 2], Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012 [3] and most recently, swine acute diarrhoea syndrome (SADS) in 2017 [4]. These outbreaks have had a significant impact on the economy, global travel and society, and should serve as a warning for other emergent CoVs. While Asia used to be considered to be the ‘hot zone’ for such outbreaks, the emergence of MERS highlighted that such events can happen anywhere in the world. Since emerging in 2012 in the Middle East, MERS-CoV has spread to 27 countries and has infected humans with an estimated mortality rate of 35 % [8]

Methods

Results

Conclusion