Detection of Group 1 Coronaviruses in Bats in North America
subject: coronavirus, bat coronavirus, coronavirus group 1, bats, phylogeny of bat coronaviruses, wildlife viral surveillance
description: The epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was caused by a newly emerged coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Bats of several species in southern People’s Republic of China harbor SARS-like CoVs and may be reservoir hosts for them. To determine whether bats in North America also harbor coronaviruses, we used reverse transcription–PCR to detect coronavirus RNA in bats. We found coronavirus RNA in 6 of 28 fecal specimens from bats of 2 of 7 species tested. The prevalence of viral RNA shedding was high: 17% in Eptesicus fuscus and 50% in Myotis occultus. Sequence analysis of a 440-bp amplicon in gene 1b showed that these Rocky Mountain bat coronaviruses formed 3 clusters in phylogenetic group 1 that were distinct from group 1 coronaviruses of Asian bats. Because of the potential for bat coronaviruses to cause disease in humans and animals, further surveillance and characterization of bat coronaviruses in North America are needed.
creator: Samuel R. Dominguez, Thomas J. O’Shea, Lauren M. Oko, Kathryn V. Holmes
source: Emerging Infectious Diseases
publisher: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
date: 2007
language: EN
identifier: DOI: 10.3201/eid1309.070491
coverage: Infectious and parasitic diseases, Medicine