Bats - Detection of Novel SARS-like and Other Coronaviruses in Bats from Kenya.

[Giuseppe]

Detection of Novel SARS-like and Other Coronaviruses in Bats from Kenya (CDC EID)

DOI: 10.3201/eid1503.081013
Suggested citation for this article: Tong S, Conrardy C, Ruone S, Kuzmin IV, Guo X, Tao Y, et al. Detection of novel SARS-like and other coronaviruses in bats from Kenya. Emerg Infect Dis. 2009 Mar; [Epub ahead of print]

[Full free PDF Document at LINK. EDITED.]

Detection of Novel SARS-like and Other Coronaviruses in Bats from Kenya

Suxiang Tong, Christina Conrardy, Susan Ruone, Ivan V. Kuzmin, Xiling Guo, Ying Tao, Michael Niezgoda, Lia Haynes, Bernard Agwand, Robert F. Breiman, Larry J. Anderson, and Charles E. Rupprecht
Author affiliations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (S. Tong, C. Conrardy, S. Ruone, V. Kuzmin, Y. Tao, M. Niezagoda, L. Haynes, L.J. Anderson, C.E. Rupprecht); Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, People?s Republic of China (X. Guo); National Museum, Kenya Wildlife Service, Nairobi, Kenya (B. Agwand); and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Kenya, Nairobi (R.F. Briman)


Diverse coronaviruses have been identified in bats from several continents but not from Africa. We identified group 1 and 2 coronaviruses in bats in Kenya, including SARS-related coronaviruses. The sequence diversity suggests that bats are well-established reservoirs for and likely sources of coronaviruses for many species, including humans.
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[sharon sanders]

Re: Emerg Infect Dis. Detection of Novel SARS-like and Other Coronaviruses in Bats from Kenya.

Conclusions

These data demonstrate that the CoV diversity in bats previously detected in Asia, Europe, and North America is also present, possibly to a greater extent, in Africa. The extent of this diversity among CoVs may be shown more clearly through additional studies in bats, and increased demonstration of CoV diversity in bats may require a reconsideration of how they should be grouped. The frequency and diversity of CoV detections in bats, now in multiple continents, demonstrate that bats are likely an important source for introduction into other species globally. Understanding the extent and diversity of CoV infection in bats provides a foundation for detecting new disease introductions that may, like SARS, present a public health threat.