The Genetic Characterization of the First Detected Bat Coronaviruses in Poland Revealed SARS-Related Types and Alphacoronaviruses

Anna Orłowska; Marcin Smreczak; Katarzyna Thor; Magda Niedbalska; Dominika Pawelec; Paweł Trębas; Jerzy Rola

doi:10.3390/v14091914

The Genetic Characterization of the First Detected Bat Coronaviruses in Poland Revealed SARS-Related Types and Alphacoronaviruses

Viruses. 2022 Aug 30;14(9):1914. doi: 10.3390/v14091914.

Authors

Anna Orłowska¹, Marcin Smreczak¹, Katarzyna Thor², Magda Niedbalska¹, Dominika Pawelec¹, Paweł Trębas¹, Jerzy Rola¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Virology, National Veterinary Research Institute, 24-100 Puławy, Poland.
² Department of Animal Genetics and Conservation, Institute of Animal Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, 02-786 Warsaw, Poland.

Abstract

Bats are a major global reservoir of alphacoronaviruses (alphaCoVs) and betaCoVs. Attempts to discover the causative agents of COVID-19 and SARS have revealed horseshoe bats (Rhinolophidae) to be the most probable source of the virus. We report the first detection of bat coronaviruses (BtCoVs) in insectivorous bats in Poland and highlight SARS-related coronaviruses found in Rhinolophidae bats. The study included 503 (397 oral swabs and 106 fecal) samples collected from 20 bat species. Genetically diverse BtCoVs (n = 20) of the Alpha- and Betacoronavirus genera were found in fecal samples of two bat species. SARS-related CoVs were in 18 out of 58 lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) samples (31%, 95% CI 20.6-43.8), and alphaCoVs were in 2 out of 55 Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentonii) samples (3.6%, 95% CI 0.6-12.3). The overall BtCoV prevalence was 4.0% (95% CI 2.6-6.1). High identity was determined for BtCoVs isolated from European M. daubentonii and R. hipposideros bats. The detection of SARS-related and alphaCoVs in Polish bats with high phylogenetic relatedness to reference BtCoVs isolated in different European countries but from the same species confirms their high host restriction. Our data elucidate the molecular epidemiology, prevalence, and geographic distribution of coronaviruses and particularly SARS-related types in the bat population.

Keywords: Poland; SARS-related CoV; bats; coronaviruses; phylogenetics; prevalence.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Alphacoronavirus* / genetics
Animals
COVID-19*
Chiroptera*
Coronaviridae*
Phylogeny
Poland / epidemiology
Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus* / genetics

Grants and funding

The work was supported partially by funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under grant agreement No 773830: One Health European Joint Programme COVRIN, 2018-2022 science funding awarded for an international project co-financed by the Ministry of Education and Science, Poland, and MINIATURA 5 call.