Longitudinal Survey of Coronavirus Circulation and Diversity in Insectivorous Bat Colonies in Zimbabwe
Background: Studies have linked bats to outbreaks of viral diseases in human populations such as SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV and the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Methods: We carried out a longitudinal survey from August 2020 to July 2021 at two sites in Zimbabwe with bat–human interactions: Magweto cave...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-04-01
|
| Series: | Viruses |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/4/781 |
| _version_ | 1797408956754165760 |
|---|---|
| author | Vimbiso Chidoti Hélène De Nys Valérie Pinarello Getrude Mashura Dorothée Missé Laure Guerrini Davies Pfukenyi Julien Cappelle Ngoni Chiweshe Ahidjo Ayouba Gift Matope Martine Peeters Elizabeth Gori Mathieu Bourgarel Florian Liégeois |
| author_facet | Vimbiso Chidoti Hélène De Nys Valérie Pinarello Getrude Mashura Dorothée Missé Laure Guerrini Davies Pfukenyi Julien Cappelle Ngoni Chiweshe Ahidjo Ayouba Gift Matope Martine Peeters Elizabeth Gori Mathieu Bourgarel Florian Liégeois |
| author_sort | Vimbiso Chidoti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Studies have linked bats to outbreaks of viral diseases in human populations such as SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV and the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Methods: We carried out a longitudinal survey from August 2020 to July 2021 at two sites in Zimbabwe with bat–human interactions: Magweto cave and Chirundu farm. A total of 1732 and 1866 individual bat fecal samples were collected, respectively. Coronaviruses and bat species were amplified using PCR systems. Results: Analysis of the coronavirus sequences revealed a high genetic diversity, and we identified different sub-viral groups in the <i>Alphacoronavirus</i> and <i>Betacoronavirus</i> genus. The established sub-viral groups fell within the described <i>Alphacoronavirus</i> sub-genera: <i>Decacovirus</i>, <i>Duvinacovirus</i>, <i>Rhinacovirus</i>, <i>Setracovirus</i> and <i>Minunacovirus</i> and for <i>Betacoronavirus</i> sub-genera: <i>Sarbecoviruses</i>, <i>Merbecovirus</i> and <i>Hibecovirus</i>. Our results showed an overall proportion for CoV positive PCR tests of 23.7% at Chirundu site and 16.5% and 38.9% at Magweto site for insectivorous bats and <i>Macronycteris gigas</i>, respectively. Conclusions: The higher risk of bat coronavirus exposure for humans was found in December to March in relation to higher viral shedding peaks of coronaviruses in the parturition, lactation and weaning months of the bat populations at both sites. We also highlight the need to further document viral infectious risk in human/domestic animal populations surrounding bat habitats in Zimbabwe. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:07:20Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-029e15d3ab234ce084c6a27fe021d550 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T04:07:20Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-029e15d3ab234ce084c6a27fe021d5502023-12-03T14:04:21ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152022-04-0114478110.3390/v14040781Longitudinal Survey of Coronavirus Circulation and Diversity in Insectivorous Bat Colonies in ZimbabweVimbiso Chidoti0Hélène De Nys1Valérie Pinarello2Getrude Mashura3Dorothée Missé4Laure Guerrini5Davies Pfukenyi6Julien Cappelle7Ngoni Chiweshe8Ahidjo Ayouba9Gift Matope10Martine Peeters11Elizabeth Gori12Mathieu Bourgarel13Florian Liégeois14Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Zimbabwe, Harare P.O. Box MP 167, ZimbabweASTRE, CIRAD, INRAE, University of Montpellier, 34980 Montpellier, FranceFaculty of Veterinary Science, University of Zimbabwe, Harare P.O. Box MP 167, ZimbabweFaculty of Veterinary Science, University of Zimbabwe, Harare P.O. Box MP 167, ZimbabweMIVEGEC, University of Montpellier, IRD, CNRS, 34394 Montpellier, FranceASTRE, CIRAD, INRAE, University of Montpellier, 34980 Montpellier, FranceFaculty of Veterinary Science, University of Zimbabwe, Harare P.O. Box MP 167, ZimbabweASTRE, CIRAD, INRAE, University of Montpellier, 34980 Montpellier, FranceCIRAD, UMR ASTRE, Harare, ZimbabweTransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, IRD, Inserm, 34394 Montpellier, FranceFaculty of Veterinary Science, University of Zimbabwe, Harare P.O. Box MP 167, ZimbabweTransVIHMI, University of Montpellier, IRD, Inserm, 34394 Montpellier, FranceFaculty of Veterinary Science, University of Zimbabwe, Harare P.O. Box MP 167, ZimbabweASTRE, CIRAD, INRAE, University of Montpellier, 34980 Montpellier, FranceFaculty of Veterinary Science, University of Zimbabwe, Harare P.O. Box MP 167, ZimbabweBackground: Studies have linked bats to outbreaks of viral diseases in human populations such as SARS-CoV-1 and MERS-CoV and the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Methods: We carried out a longitudinal survey from August 2020 to July 2021 at two sites in Zimbabwe with bat–human interactions: Magweto cave and Chirundu farm. A total of 1732 and 1866 individual bat fecal samples were collected, respectively. Coronaviruses and bat species were amplified using PCR systems. Results: Analysis of the coronavirus sequences revealed a high genetic diversity, and we identified different sub-viral groups in the <i>Alphacoronavirus</i> and <i>Betacoronavirus</i> genus. The established sub-viral groups fell within the described <i>Alphacoronavirus</i> sub-genera: <i>Decacovirus</i>, <i>Duvinacovirus</i>, <i>Rhinacovirus</i>, <i>Setracovirus</i> and <i>Minunacovirus</i> and for <i>Betacoronavirus</i> sub-genera: <i>Sarbecoviruses</i>, <i>Merbecovirus</i> and <i>Hibecovirus</i>. Our results showed an overall proportion for CoV positive PCR tests of 23.7% at Chirundu site and 16.5% and 38.9% at Magweto site for insectivorous bats and <i>Macronycteris gigas</i>, respectively. Conclusions: The higher risk of bat coronavirus exposure for humans was found in December to March in relation to higher viral shedding peaks of coronaviruses in the parturition, lactation and weaning months of the bat populations at both sites. We also highlight the need to further document viral infectious risk in human/domestic animal populations surrounding bat habitats in Zimbabwe.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/4/781bat coronavirus (Bt CoVs)human–bat interactiongenetic diversityreproductive phenologyZimbabwe |
| spellingShingle | Vimbiso Chidoti Hélène De Nys Valérie Pinarello Getrude Mashura Dorothée Missé Laure Guerrini Davies Pfukenyi Julien Cappelle Ngoni Chiweshe Ahidjo Ayouba Gift Matope Martine Peeters Elizabeth Gori Mathieu Bourgarel Florian Liégeois Longitudinal Survey of Coronavirus Circulation and Diversity in Insectivorous Bat Colonies in Zimbabwe Viruses bat coronavirus (Bt CoVs) human–bat interaction genetic diversity reproductive phenology Zimbabwe |
| title | Longitudinal Survey of Coronavirus Circulation and Diversity in Insectivorous Bat Colonies in Zimbabwe |
| title_full | Longitudinal Survey of Coronavirus Circulation and Diversity in Insectivorous Bat Colonies in Zimbabwe |
| title_fullStr | Longitudinal Survey of Coronavirus Circulation and Diversity in Insectivorous Bat Colonies in Zimbabwe |
| title_full_unstemmed | Longitudinal Survey of Coronavirus Circulation and Diversity in Insectivorous Bat Colonies in Zimbabwe |
| title_short | Longitudinal Survey of Coronavirus Circulation and Diversity in Insectivorous Bat Colonies in Zimbabwe |
| title_sort | longitudinal survey of coronavirus circulation and diversity in insectivorous bat colonies in zimbabwe |
| topic | bat coronavirus (Bt CoVs) human–bat interaction genetic diversity reproductive phenology Zimbabwe |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/14/4/781 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT vimbisochidoti longitudinalsurveyofcoronaviruscirculationanddiversityininsectivorousbatcoloniesinzimbabwe AT helenedenys longitudinalsurveyofcoronaviruscirculationanddiversityininsectivorousbatcoloniesinzimbabwe AT valeriepinarello longitudinalsurveyofcoronaviruscirculationanddiversityininsectivorousbatcoloniesinzimbabwe AT getrudemashura longitudinalsurveyofcoronaviruscirculationanddiversityininsectivorousbatcoloniesinzimbabwe AT dorotheemisse longitudinalsurveyofcoronaviruscirculationanddiversityininsectivorousbatcoloniesinzimbabwe AT laureguerrini longitudinalsurveyofcoronaviruscirculationanddiversityininsectivorousbatcoloniesinzimbabwe AT daviespfukenyi longitudinalsurveyofcoronaviruscirculationanddiversityininsectivorousbatcoloniesinzimbabwe AT juliencappelle longitudinalsurveyofcoronaviruscirculationanddiversityininsectivorousbatcoloniesinzimbabwe AT ngonichiweshe longitudinalsurveyofcoronaviruscirculationanddiversityininsectivorousbatcoloniesinzimbabwe AT ahidjoayouba longitudinalsurveyofcoronaviruscirculationanddiversityininsectivorousbatcoloniesinzimbabwe AT giftmatope longitudinalsurveyofcoronaviruscirculationanddiversityininsectivorousbatcoloniesinzimbabwe AT martinepeeters longitudinalsurveyofcoronaviruscirculationanddiversityininsectivorousbatcoloniesinzimbabwe AT elizabethgori longitudinalsurveyofcoronaviruscirculationanddiversityininsectivorousbatcoloniesinzimbabwe AT mathieubourgarel longitudinalsurveyofcoronaviruscirculationanddiversityininsectivorousbatcoloniesinzimbabwe AT florianliegeois longitudinalsurveyofcoronaviruscirculationanddiversityininsectivorousbatcoloniesinzimbabwe |