Replication and shedding of MERS-CoV in Jamaican fruit bats (Artibeus jamaicensis)

• DOI: 10.1038/srep21878
• Publication Date: 2016-02-22T09:54:06Z
• Authors: Vincent J. Munster; Danielle R. Adney; Neeltje van Dorem...; Vienna R. Brown; Kerri L. Miazgowicz; Shauna Milne-Price; Trenton Bushmaker; Rebecca Rosenke; Dana Scott; Ann Hawkinson; Emmie de Wit; Tony Schountz; Richard A. Bowen
• Keywords: Coronaviridae; Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4; bats; bat; Antibodies, Viral; Virus Replication; Article; virus-host; 03 medical and health sciences; pathogen-host; Chiroptera; Cricetinae; Chlorocebus aethiops; Animals; Animalia; biotic relations; Viridae; Chordata; Lung; Vero Cells; 0303 health sciences; biotic associations; corona viruses; covid; pathogens; Biodiversity; Viral Load; biotic interaction; Immunity, Innate; Virus Shedding; 3. Good health; covid-19; Mammalia; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus; Receptors, Virus; Coronavirus Infections; CETAF-taskforce

AbstractThe emergence of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) highlights the zoonotic potential of Betacoronaviruses. Investigations into the origin of MERS-CoV have focused on two potential reservoirs: bats and camels. Here, we investigated the role of bats as a potential reservoir for MERS-CoV. In vitro, the MERS-CoV spike glycoprotein interacted with Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis) dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP4) receptor and MERS-CoV replicated efficiently in Jamaican fruit bat cells, suggesting there is no restriction at the receptor or cellular level for MERS-CoV. To shed light on the intrinsic host-virus relationship, we inoculated 10 Jamaican fruit bats with MERS-CoV. Although all bats showed evidence of infection, none of the bats showed clinical signs of disease. Virus shedding was detected in the respiratory and intestinal tract for up to 9 days. MERS-CoV replicated transiently in the respiratory and, to a lesser extent, the intestinal tracts and internal organs; with limited histopathological changes observed only in the lungs. Analysis of the innate gene expression in the lungs showed a moderate, transient induction of expression. Our results indicate that MERS-CoV maintains the ability to replicate in bats without clinical signs of disease, supporting the general hypothesis of bats as ancestral reservoirs for MERS-CoV.