Coronaviruses in guano from Pteropus medius bats in Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

This report describes the detection of coronavirus RNA in P. medius bat guano collected in Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. These viruses had >97% nucleotide identity with coronaviruses detected in Cynopterus sphinx, Scotophilus heathii and S. kuhlii bats in Thailand. Pteropus medius is widespread in Asia and appears to excrete group D coronaviruses, which are hitherto confined to bats; however, these findings may have public health implications in the future.
Source: Transboundary and Emerging Diseases - Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Tags: SHORT COMMUNICATION Source Type: research