Bats are reservoirs of various viruses.The widely distributed cave nectar bat(Eonycteris spelaea)is known to carry both filoviruses and coronaviruses.However,the potential transmission of theses bat viruses to humans ...Bats are reservoirs of various viruses.The widely distributed cave nectar bat(Eonycteris spelaea)is known to carry both filoviruses and coronaviruses.However,the potential transmission of theses bat viruses to humans is not fully understood.In this study,we tracked 16 E.spelaea bats in Mengla County,Yunnan Province,China,using miniaturized GPS devices to investigate their movements and potential contact with humans.Furthermore,to determine the prevalence of coronavirus and filovirus infections,we screened for the nucleic acids of the Měnglàvirus(MLAV)and two coronaviruses(GCCDC1-CoV and HKU9-CoV)in anal swab samples taken from bats and for antibodies against these viruses in human serum samples.None of the serum samples were found to contain antibodies against the bat viruses.The GPS tracking results showed that the bats did not fly during the daytime and rarely flew to residential areas.The foraging range of individual bats also varied,with a mean cumulative nightly flight distance of 25.50 km and flight speed of up to 57.4 km/h.Taken together,these results suggest that the risk of direct transmission of GCCDC1-CoV,HKU9-CoV,and MLAV from E.spelaea bats to humans is very low under natural conditions.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31727901 to Z.L.S.)Key Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(KJZD-SW-L11 to Z.L.S.)+1 种基金Guangdong Province Natural Resources Services(Ecological Forestry Construction)Special Fund in 2021(to L.B.Z.)Youth Innovation Promotion Association of CAS(2019328 to X.L.Y.)。
文摘Bats are reservoirs of various viruses.The widely distributed cave nectar bat(Eonycteris spelaea)is known to carry both filoviruses and coronaviruses.However,the potential transmission of theses bat viruses to humans is not fully understood.In this study,we tracked 16 E.spelaea bats in Mengla County,Yunnan Province,China,using miniaturized GPS devices to investigate their movements and potential contact with humans.Furthermore,to determine the prevalence of coronavirus and filovirus infections,we screened for the nucleic acids of the Měnglàvirus(MLAV)and two coronaviruses(GCCDC1-CoV and HKU9-CoV)in anal swab samples taken from bats and for antibodies against these viruses in human serum samples.None of the serum samples were found to contain antibodies against the bat viruses.The GPS tracking results showed that the bats did not fly during the daytime and rarely flew to residential areas.The foraging range of individual bats also varied,with a mean cumulative nightly flight distance of 25.50 km and flight speed of up to 57.4 km/h.Taken together,these results suggest that the risk of direct transmission of GCCDC1-CoV,HKU9-CoV,and MLAV from E.spelaea bats to humans is very low under natural conditions.
