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

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

Christina M. Lazov, Mariann Chriél, Hans J. Baagøe, Esben Fjederholt, Yu Deng, Engbert A. Kooi, Graham J Belsham, Anette Bøtner, Thomas Bruun Rasmussen

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.

2018

Vespertilionidae, coronavirus, nucleotide sequencing, Phylogenetic analysis, Europe, host restriction

DOI: 10.3390/v10090486

Viruses

MDPI AG

Microbiology

EN