Detection and Characterization of Distinct Alphacoronaviruses in Five Different Bat Species in Denmark.

Christina Lazov,Graham Belsham,Engbert Kooi,Mariann Chriél,Hans Baagøe,Thomas Rasmussen,Anette Bøtner,Esben Fjederholt,Yu Deng

doi:10.3390/v10090486

Abstract

Bat populations harbour a multitude of viruses; some of these are pathogenic or potentially pathogenic in other animals or humans. Therefore, it is important to monitor the populations and characterize these viruses. In this study, the presence of coronaviruses (CoVs) in different species of Danish bats was investigated using active surveillance at different geographical locations in Denmark. Faecal samples were screened for the presence of CoVs using pan-CoV real-time RT-PCR assays. The amplicons, obtained from five different species of bats, were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a species-specific clustering with the samples from Myotis daubentonii, showing a close resemblance to coronavirus sequences obtained from the same species of bat in Germany and the United Kingdom. Our results show, for the first time, that multiple, distinct alphacoronaviruses are present in the Danish bat populations.

Highlights

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a diverse group of large, single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses in the family Coronaviridae, order Nidovirales
The positive samples were obtained from M. daubentonii, P. pygmaeus, M. dasycneme, M. nattereri, and E. serotinus
The three most sampled bat species had an observed prevalence of coronavirus RNA in their faeces of around 20–25% (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a diverse group of large, single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses in the family Coronaviridae, order Nidovirales. Certain CoVs can cause severe diseases in animals and humans. The SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) and MERS East respiratory syndrome) epidemics in humans have sparked a renewed interest in coronaviruses. Nucleotide sequencing and phylogenetic analyses have enabled the discovery of spill-over events and back-tracing of the origin of these viruses from their animal hosts. Bat populations worldwide are generally considered to be the natural reservoirs for alphaand betacoronaviruses, with delta- and gammacoronaviruses having avian reservoirs [1]. Incomplete information exists about which bat species host specific CoVs and which genera and strains of bat CoVs are circulating in Europe [2]

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