Ecological study of cave nectar bats reveals low risk of direct transmission of bat viruses to humans

Kai Zhao; Wei Zhang; Bei Li; Shi-Zhe Xie; Fan Yi; Ren-Di Jiang; Yun Luo; Xiang-Yang He; Yun-Zhi Zhang; Zheng-Li Shi; Li-Biao Zhang; Xing-Lou Yang

doi:10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.480

Volume 43 Issue 4

Jul. 2022

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Article Navigation > Zoological Research > 2022 > 43(4): 514-522

Kai Zhao, Wei Zhang, Bei Li, Shi-Zhe Xie, Fan Yi, Ren-Di Jiang, Yun Luo, Xiang-Yang He, Yun-Zhi Zhang, Zheng-Li Shi, Li-Biao Zhang, Xing-Lou Yang. Ecological study of cave nectar bats reveals low risk of direct transmission of bat viruses to humans. Zoological Research, 2022, 43(4): 514-522. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.480

Citation:

Kai Zhao, Wei Zhang, Bei Li, Shi-Zhe Xie, Fan Yi, Ren-Di Jiang, Yun Luo, Xiang-Yang He, Yun-Zhi Zhang, Zheng-Li Shi, Li-Biao Zhang, Xing-Lou Yang. Ecological study of cave nectar bats reveals low risk of direct transmission of bat viruses to humans. Zoological Research, 2022, 43(4): 514-522. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.480

Citation:

Kai Zhao, Wei Zhang, Bei Li, Shi-Zhe Xie, Fan Yi, Ren-Di Jiang, Yun Luo, Xiang-Yang He, Yun-Zhi Zhang, Zheng-Li Shi, Li-Biao Zhang, Xing-Lou Yang. Ecological study of cave nectar bats reveals low risk of direct transmission of bat viruses to humans. Zoological Research, 2022, 43(4): 514-522. doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.480

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Ecological study of cave nectar bats reveals low risk of direct transmission of bat viruses to humans

doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.480

Kai Zhao^{1, 2},
Wei Zhang¹,
Bei Li¹,
Shi-Zhe Xie^{1, 2},
Fan Yi¹,
Ren-Di Jiang¹,
Yun Luo^{1, 2},
Xiang-Yang He³,
Yun-Zhi Zhang⁴,
Zheng-Li Shi¹,
Li-Biao Zhang^{3
,
,},
Xing-Lou Yang^{1
,
,}

1.
CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens and Biosafety, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei 430071, China
2.
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
3.
Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510260, China
4.
School of Public Health, Dali University, Dali, Yunnan 671003, China

Funds: This study was 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.), Guangdong Province Natural Resources Services (Ecological Forestry Construction) Special Fund in 2021 (to L.B.Z.), and Youth Innovation Promotion Association of CAS (2019328 to X.L.Y.)

More Information

Corresponding author: E-mail: zhanglb@giz.gd.cn; yangxl@wh.iov.cn
Received Date: 2022-04-05
Accepted Date: 2022-05-10

Published Online: 2022-05-17

Publish Date: 2022-07-18

Abstract

Abstract

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 Měnglà virus (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.
- Bats,
- Eonycteris spelaea,
- GPS tracking,
- GCCDC1-CoV,
- HKU9-CoV,
- Měnglà virus

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References(58)

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