Hibernating vesper bats are a weak source for biomonitoring of coronaviruses
Aleksander Goll,
Lara Dutra,
Joanna Nowicka,
Elena Sgarabotto,
Vinaya Venkat,
Grzegorz Apoznański,
Tomasz Kokurewicz,
Alek Rachwald,
Lukasz Rabalski,
Hussein Alburkat,
Jenni Virtanen,
Tarja Sironen,
Ravi Kant,
Vincent Bourret,
Maciej Grzybek
Affiliations
Aleksander Goll
Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519 Gdynia, Poland
Lara Dutra
Department of Virology, Helsinki University, Haartmaniaku 3, Helsinki, Finland
Joanna Nowicka
Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519 Gdynia, Poland
Elena Sgarabotto
Department of Virology, Helsinki University, Haartmaniaku 3, Helsinki, Finland
Vinaya Venkat
Department of Virology, Helsinki University, Haartmaniaku 3, Helsinki, Finland
Grzegorz Apoznański
Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Paleontology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska Street 5b, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland
Tomasz Kokurewicz
Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Paleontology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska Street 5b, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland
Alek Rachwald
Forest Ecology Department, Forest Research Institute, Braci Leśnej 3, 05-090 Raszyn, Poland
Lukasz Rabalski
University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland
Hussein Alburkat
Department of Virology, Helsinki University, Haartmaniaku 3, Helsinki, Finland
Jenni Virtanen
Department of Virology, Helsinki University, Haartmaniaku 3, Helsinki, Finland
Tarja Sironen
Department of Virology, Helsinki University, Haartmaniaku 3, Helsinki, Finland
Ravi Kant
Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519 Gdynia, Poland; Department of Virology, Helsinki University, Haartmaniaku 3, Helsinki, Finland; Correspondence to: R. Kant, Department of Virology, Helsinki University, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00290 Helsinki, Finland.
Vincent Bourret
Department of Virology, Helsinki University, Haartmaniaku 3, Helsinki, Finland; INRAE-Université de Toulouse UR 0035 CEFS, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France; Correspondence to: V. Bourret, INRAE-Université de Toulouse UR 0035 CEFS, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France.
Maciej Grzybek
Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519 Gdynia, Poland
Background: Our study explores the role of bats as reservoirs of coronaviruses. Methods: We conducted virological screening of bats hibernating in military bunkers at the Natura 2000 site “Nietoperek” in Western Poland collecting oral and anal swab samples from 138 bats across six species to apply a combination of pan-coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2 specific PCR assays. Results: Only one anal swab tested positive for coronavirus. No SARS-CoV-2 was detected in any of the samples. The low prevalence of coronavirus in the studied colony contrasts with higher rates found in other regions and may be influenced by hibernation. Conclusions: Hibernating bats may show a low prevalence of coronavirus, potentially due to the hibernation process itself. This finding indicates that hibernating bats may not be the most optimal subjects for screening zoonotic pathogens. However, biomonitoring of bats for emerging and reemerging diseases is recommended for comprehensive epidemiological insights.
