tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Int J Infect Dis
. 2023 Mar 2;S1201-9712(23)00064-4.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2023.02.015. Online ahead of print.
Exposure to diverse sarbecoviruses indicates frequent zoonotic spillover in human communities interacting with wildlife
Tierra Smiley Evans[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Chee Wah Tan[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ohnmar Aung[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Sabai Phyu[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Htin Lin[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Lark L Coffey[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Aung Than Toe[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Pyaephyo Aung[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Tin Htun Aung[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Nyein Thu Aung[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Christopher M Weiss[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Kyaw Zin Thant[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Zaw Than Htun[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Suzan Murray[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Lin-Fa Wang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Christine Kreuder Johnson[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Hlaing Myat Thu[SUP] 10 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Sarbecoviruses are a subgenus of Coronaviridae that mostly infect bats with known potential to infect humans (SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2). Populations in Southeast Asia, where these viruses are most likely to emerge, have been under-surveyed to date.
Methods: We surveyed communities engaged in extractive industries and bat guano harvesting from rural areas in Myanmar. Participants were screened for exposure to sarbecoviruses and their interactions with wildlife were evaluated to determine factors associated with exposure to sarbecoviruses.
Results: Of 693 people screened between July 2017 and February 2020, 12.1% were seropositive for sarbecoviruses. Individuals were significantly more likely to have been exposed to sarbecoviruses if their main livelihood involved working in extractive industries (logging, hunting, or harvesting of forest products; OR = 2.71, P = 0.019) or had been hunting / slaughtering bats (OR = 6.09, P = 0.020). Exposure to a range of bat and pangolin sarbecoviruses were identified.
Conclusions: Exposure to diverse sarbecoviruses among high-risk human communities provides epidemiologic and immunologic evidence that zoonotic spillover is occurring. These findings inform risk mitigation efforts needed to decrease disease transmission at the bat-human interface as well as future surveillance efforts warranted to monitor isolated populations for viruses with pandemic potential.
Keywords: Coronavirus; Myanmar; SARS-CoV-2; bat; sarbecovirus; zoonotic.
. 2023 Mar 2;S1201-9712(23)00064-4.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2023.02.015. Online ahead of print.
Exposure to diverse sarbecoviruses indicates frequent zoonotic spillover in human communities interacting with wildlife
Tierra Smiley Evans[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Chee Wah Tan[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ohnmar Aung[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Sabai Phyu[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Htin Lin[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Lark L Coffey[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Aung Than Toe[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Pyaephyo Aung[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Tin Htun Aung[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Nyein Thu Aung[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Christopher M Weiss[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Kyaw Zin Thant[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Zaw Than Htun[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Suzan Murray[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Lin-Fa Wang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Christine Kreuder Johnson[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Hlaing Myat Thu[SUP] 10 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 36870470
- DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2023.02.015
Abstract
Background: Sarbecoviruses are a subgenus of Coronaviridae that mostly infect bats with known potential to infect humans (SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2). Populations in Southeast Asia, where these viruses are most likely to emerge, have been under-surveyed to date.
Methods: We surveyed communities engaged in extractive industries and bat guano harvesting from rural areas in Myanmar. Participants were screened for exposure to sarbecoviruses and their interactions with wildlife were evaluated to determine factors associated with exposure to sarbecoviruses.
Results: Of 693 people screened between July 2017 and February 2020, 12.1% were seropositive for sarbecoviruses. Individuals were significantly more likely to have been exposed to sarbecoviruses if their main livelihood involved working in extractive industries (logging, hunting, or harvesting of forest products; OR = 2.71, P = 0.019) or had been hunting / slaughtering bats (OR = 6.09, P = 0.020). Exposure to a range of bat and pangolin sarbecoviruses were identified.
Conclusions: Exposure to diverse sarbecoviruses among high-risk human communities provides epidemiologic and immunologic evidence that zoonotic spillover is occurring. These findings inform risk mitigation efforts needed to decrease disease transmission at the bat-human interface as well as future surveillance efforts warranted to monitor isolated populations for viruses with pandemic potential.
Keywords: Coronavirus; Myanmar; SARS-CoV-2; bat; sarbecovirus; zoonotic.