📄 Detection of a virus related to betacoronaviruses in Italian greater horseshoe bats

The association between coronaviruses and bats is a worldwide phenomenon and bats belonging to genus Rhinolophus are the reservoir host for several coronaviruses, including a large number of viruses closely related genetically to severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV). We carried out a survey in colonies of Italian bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) for the presence of coronaviruses. Two of 52 R. ferrumequinum captured from different Italian areas tested positive by reverse transcription-PCR for a fragment of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (Rd. Rp) gene of viruses related to Coronavirus. Phylogenetic analysis revealed close correlations between one of the positive samples and SARS-related CoV belonging to the genus Betacoronavirus. © 2010 Cambridge University Press.

keywords 🔗 severe acute (1373) 🔗 closely related (222) 🔗 reverse transcription (205) 🔗 respiratory syndrome (2004) 🔗 acute respiratory (1734)

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