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Coronaviruses in bent-winged bats (Miniopterus spp.)

Department of Microbiology, University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR

Correspondence
L. L. M. Poon
llmpoon{at}hkucc.hku.hk
J. S. M. Peiris
malik{at}hkucc.hku.hk

A novel group 1 coronavirus was previously identified in bent-winged bats (Miniopterus spp.). Here, results are described from our ongoing surveillance of these bats for coronaviruses. These findings show that group 1 coronaviruses are endemic in these bat populations in Hong Kong. Genetic analysis of these viruses indicates that there are at least four different, but closely related, group 1 coronaviruses (bat-CoV 1A, 1B, HKU7 and HKU8) circulating in bent-winged bats. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these group 1 bat coronaviruses have descended from a common ancestor and that these viruses have been established in these bats for a long period of time. These data provide a better understanding of the emergence and evolution of coronaviruses. Bat-CoV 1A and 1B were detected in apparently healthy Miniopterus magnater and Miniopterus pusillus, respectively, on repeated sampling occasions at a single habitat, suggesting that these viruses have established a persistent infection in these populations.

Published online ahead of print on 14 June 2006 as DOI 10.1099/vir.0.82203-0.

The GenBank/EMBL/DDBJ accession numbers for the sequences reported in this study are DQ666337–DQ666344.

Supplementary material is available in JGV Online.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. K. W. Chu, J. S. M. Peiris, H. Chen, Y. Guan, and L. L. M. Poon Genomic characterizations of bat coronaviruses (1A, 1B and HKU8) and evidence for co-infections in Miniopterus bats J. Gen. Virol., May 1, 2008; 89(5): 1282 - 1287. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]