Surveillance of SARS-like CoV in bats from Yucatán, Mexico

Surveillance of SARS-like CoV in bats from Yucatán, Mexico | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Short Report Surveillance of SARS-like CoV in bats from Yucatán, Mexico Aaron Yeh-Gorocica, Guadalupe Ayora-Talavera, Antonio Rivero-Juarez, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4638860/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract SARS-like coronaviruses (SL-CoV) have been identified in bats globally and are of significant public health interest due to their potential to cause new epidemics and pandemics. However, their presence in the Americas remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to conduct surveillance for SL-CoV in bats from the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. Bat sampling was conducted between August 2022 and July 2023 in two municipalities (Tekax and Panabá) of Yucatán, Mexico. Rectal and oral swabs as well as whole blood samples were collected from each bat. RNA was extracted from all samples. SL-CoV RNA detection was performed using one-step RT-qPCR targeting the E gene of the viruses. One hundred forty-four bats from six species were included. All biological samples met the RNA concentration and viability criteria for analysis. Our study did not detect SL-CoV in bats from Yucatán, suggesting a low risk of SL-CoV emergence in southeastern Mexico. Continuous surveillance of SL-CoV in bat populations is recommended due to the dynamic of zoonotic disease risks and the potential for changes in virus circulation patterns. SARS-like coronaviruses bats Yucatan viruses Introduction The family Coronaviridae , within the subfamily Orthocoronavirinae , includes the genera Alphacoronavirus , Betacoronavirus , Gammacoronavirus , and Deltacoronavirus (Walker et al. 2020 ). Zoonotic coronaviruses (CoV) causing respiratory diseases are found within Alphacoronavirus and Betacoronavirus (Balboni et al. 2012 ; Cui et al. 2018 ). Evidence indicates a zoonotic origin (from bats and rodents) for two Alphacoronaviruses (HCoV-229E and HCoV-NL63) and five Betacoronaviruses (HCoV-OC43, HCoV-HKU1, MERS, SARS-CoV1, and SARS-CoV2) (Ruiz-Aravena et al. 2021 ). Notably, SARS-CoV1 and SARS-CoV2 originated from bats and caused significant epidemics and pandemics in the 21st century (V’kovski et al. 2020 ). Genetically similar Betacoronaviruses (up to 96%) to SARS-CoV1 and SARS-CoV2 have been reported in bats (Ruiz-Aravena et al. 2021 ). These viruses, known as "SARS-like Coronaviruses (SL-CoV)" (Li et al. 2005 ), are of great public health interest due to their zoonotic potential and the possibility of causing new epidemics and pandemics (Menachery et al. 2015 ). SL-CoVs have been detected in bats from Asia, Europe, and Africa (Balboni et al. 2012 ), while their presence in the Americas remains largely unknown (Hernández-Aguilar et al. 2021 ). This is crucial as some regions in the Americas are considered high-risk areas for the emergence of zoonotic agents (Morse et al. 2021), particularly from bats (Brierley et al. 2016 ). Therefore, surveillance and monitoring of SL-CoV in high-risk regions of the Americas, such as southeastern Mexico, are essential. Priority should be given to areas with high bat density and diversity and significant natural area disturbance, like the Yucatán Peninsula (Haro et al. 2021 ). Our objective was to evaluate the presence of SL-CoV in bats from Yucatán, Mexico. Materials and Methods This study was approved by the Bioethics Committee of the Biological and Agricultural Sciences Campus at the Autonomous University of Yucatán (reference: CB-CCBA-D-2022-004). The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) of Mexico (references: SPARN/DGVS/06447/22 and SPARN/DGVS/09663/23) authorized captured and sampling. Bat sampling was conducted between August 2022 and July 2023 in two municipalities of Yucatán (Tekax and Panabá), Mexico. The bats were captured using mist nets (6m x 2.4m; Redes Ramírez, Mexico). Bat species were identified using a field guide for bats of México (Medellin et al. 2008 ), and data on trophic guild, sex, and age (juvenile or adult) were recorded for every bat (Torres-Castro et al. 2019 ). Rectal and oral swabs as well as whole blood from the brachial vein were collected. These biological samples were chosen for their minimally invasive nature and efficiency in detecting viral RNA of SL-CoV in bats (Anthony et al. 2013 ; V’kovski et al. 2020 ). All samples were placed in DMEM medium and transported to the Zoonoses and other Vector-borne Diseases Laboratory at the Regional Research Center ‘Dr — Hideyo Noguchi’ for storage at -80ºC until processing. Total RNA extraction from each sample was performed using RNA get (Biotecnologías Moleculares, Mexico) following the manufacturer's instructions. RNA concentration and quality were determined by spectrophotometry using a Nanodrop 2000® (Thermo Scientific, USA), with optimal values of 50–100 ng/µL for concentration and 1.8-2 for integrity in the 260 nm/280 nm ratio. Additionally, the viability of the RNA extraction was assessed by RT-PCR of the constitutive GAPDH gene using the RevertAid HMinus First Strand Synthesis Kit® (Thermo Scientific, USA). Once the quality criteria of the extract were confirmed, RNA from each bat’s feces, saliva, and blood was pooled for subsequent analysis. SL-CoV RNA detection was performed by amplifying a fragment of the virus's envelope protein E gene (Corman et al. 2020 ) using one-step RT-qPCR with the PrimeTime One-Step RT-qPCR Master Mix (Integrated DNA Technologies, USA) following the manufacturer's instructions. Nucleotide BLAST and Primer-BLAST confirmed the ability to amplify SL-CoV RNA with this primer pair and probe set (analysis not shown). The RT-qPCR protocol was conducted on a CFX-96 Touch (Bio-Rad, Hercules, California, USA). A positive control was employed using a human SARS-CoV2 isolate provided by the Virology Laboratory at the Dr. Hideyo Noguchi Regional Research Center. Results A total of 144 bats from six species ( Peropteryx macrotis , Glossophaga mutica , Sturnira parvidens , Artibeus jamaicensis , Dermanura phaeotis , and Molossus nigricans ) were included in the study. The general characteristics of the evaluated population are described in Table 1 . All samples met the RNA concentration and viability criteria for analysis. None of the samples tested positive for the presence of SL-CoV RNA. Table 1 Main characteristics of sampled bat Characteristics n (%) Species Peropteryx macrotis 8 (5.6) Glossophaga mutica 61 (42.4) Artibeus jamaicensis 50 (34.7) Dermanura phaeotis 6 (4.2) Sturnira parvidens 16 (11.1) Molossus nigricans 3 (2) Trophic guild Frugivore 72 (50) Insectivore 11 (7.6) Nectarivore 61 (42.4) Sex Female 68 (47.2) Male 76 (52.8) Age Juvenile 115 (79.9) Adult 29 (20.1) Legend: number of specimens (n). Discussion This is the first study focused on the surveillance of SL-CoV in bats of Yucatán State, Mexico. The absence of SL-CoV RNA in the sampled bats is consistent with previous findings in Mexico (Colunga-Salas and Hernández-Canchola 2021 ; Hernández-Aguilar et al. 2024 ). Despite the identification of several Betacoronaviruses in this country, no study has detected SL-CoV (Table 2 ), suggesting a low risk of SL-CoV emergence in Mexico. This could be related to the bat genera present in the Americas. SL-CoVs have been identified in Asia, Europe, and Africa, primarily in the genera Rhinolophus , Hipposideros , and Chaerophon (Balboni et al. 2012 ), which are not found in the Americas. Table 2 SL-CoV in bats from Mexico Region Species Year of sampling Sample type N SL-CoV Positive Reference Jalisco Artibeus jamaicensis, Artibeus phaeotis, Balantiopteryx plicata, Desmodus rotundus, Glossophaga soricina, Lasiurus cinereus, Mormoops megalophylla, Pteronotus davyi, Pteronotus parnellii, Pteronotus personatus, Sturnira lilium and Sturnira ludovici 2007–2010 Intestine 75 0 1 Goes et al. 2013 Morelos Pteronotus parnellii, Artibeus spp. Artibeus phaeotis and Macrotus waterhousii 2016 Rectal swap 39 0 2 Barrón-Rodriguez et al. 2022 Campeche, Chiapas and Mexico city. Artibeus lituratus, Artibeus phaeotis, Artibeus jamaicensis, Artibeus watsoni, Glossophaga soricina, Glossophaga commissarisi, Carollia sowelli, Carollia perspicillata, Sturnira Ludovici, Sturnira lilium, Leptonycteris nivalis, Leptonycteris yerbabuenae, Centurio senex, Platyrrhinus helleri, Uroderma bilobatum, Desmodus rotundus, Micronycteris schmidtorum, Micronycteris microtis, Mimon cozumelae, Phyllostomus discolour, Choeroniscus godmani, Trachops cirrhosis, Tonatia saurophila, Chrotopterus auratus, Lonchorhina aurita, Phylloderma stenops, Mormoops megalohyla, teronotus davyi, Pteronotus parnellii, Nyctinomops macrotis, Nyctinomops laticaudatus, Tadarida brasiliensis, Myotis velifer, Myotis occultus, Myotis keaysi, Myotis nigricans, Eptesicus fuscus, Corynorhinus mexicanus, Lasiurus intermedius, Bauerus dubiaquercus, Rhynchonycteris naso and Saccopteryx bilineata. 2013 Blood 606 0 3 Anthony et al. 2013 Oaxaca Artibeus jamaicensis, Artibeus lituratus, Artibeus toltecus, Carolia perspicillata, Desmodus rotundus and Glossophaga mutica 2019–2022 Liver tissue 20 0 Hernández-Aguilar et al. 2024 Yucatan Artibeus jamaicensis, Dermanura phaeotis, Glossophaga mutica, Molossus nigricans, Peropteryx macrotis and Sturnira parvidens 2023 Rectal and oral swab, and blood. 144 0 Present study Legend: Severe acute respiratory virus like coronaviruses (SL-CoV) [1] Identified one Betacoronavirus strain (non-SL-CoV). [2] Identified in a pool of rectal samples (n = 13) a Betacoronavirus strain (non-SL-CoV). [3] Identified nine Alphacoronavirus and four individuals with Betacoronavirus strains (non-SL-CoV). In Mexico, most Alphacoronaviruses and Betacoronaviruses have been reported in bats of the genera Artibeus , Carollia , Eptesicus , Lonchorhina , Myotis , and Pteronotus (Anthony et al. 2013 ; Barrón-Rodriguez et al. 2022; Goes et al. 2013), which, according to phylogenetic analyses, are not related to SL-CoVs (Colunga-Salas and Hernández-Canchola 2021 ). Moreover, the overall prevalence of CoVs in bats is higher in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania (around 13%) compared to the Americas (approximately 6.5%) (Warmuth et al. 2023 ). This indicates that despite the high diversity of bat species and the high risk of emerging zoonotic pathogens, the probability of zoonotic CoVs emergence from bats in the Americas might be low. The combined effects of human impact, climate, and mammalian species richness influence CoVs prevalence in bats (Warmuth et al. 2023 ). In the Yucatán Peninsula, recent decades have seen significant natural area disturbances due to agriculture, population growth, tourism, and other factors (Haro et al. 2021 ). These disturbances lead to closer interactions between humans and animals, increasing the risk of emerging and re-emerging zoonotic disease outbreaks in humans (Bonilla-Aldana et al. 2021 ; Canche-Pool et al. 2022; Li et al. 2019 ). Although there is currently no evidence of SL-CoV circulation in bats in Mexico, this situation could change. Therefore, continuous surveillance of SL-CoV in wildlife species, including bats, is advisable. In conclusion, our study did not detect the presence of SL-CoV in bats from Yucatán, suggesting that the risk of these viruses emerging in Mexico is low. Nevertheless, ongoing surveillance of these viruses in bats is recommended as a precautionary measure. Declarations Conflict of interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Neither the authors nor their institutions have at any time received payment or services from a third party for any aspect of the submitted work (data monitoring board, study design, manuscript preparation, statistical analysis, or other aspects). Funding: This work was supported by the Andalusian General Secretariat for Research, Development, and Innovation in Health (PI-0287-2019), the Spanish Ministry of Health (RD12/0017/0012), co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). AYG was supported by CONAHCYT Grant no. 413387. ARJ is supported by a contract from the Spanish Junta de Andalucía (Nicolas Monardes program: C1-0001-2023). The funders did not play any role in the design, conclusions, interpretation of the study, or decision to publish. Author Contribution Conceptualization: ARJ and MTC. Formal analysis: AYG and GAT. Funding acquisition: ARJ and MTC. Investigation: AYG, ASG and MAT. Methodology: all authors. Project administration: ARJ and MTC. Resources: ARJ, ASG and MTC. Software: AYG, ARJ and GAT. Supervision: ARJ, GAT, and MTC. Validation: AYG, ARJ, and GAT. Visualization: AYG, ARJ, and MTC. Writing - original draft: AYG, ARJ and MTC. Writing - review & editing: all authors. Acknowledgement We gratefully acknowledge Alonso Panti May, Melissa Suárez Galaz, Claudia Carillo Chan, Rodolfo Chan Chan, Raymundo Matu Góngora, Bibiana Reyes Hernández, Angélica Andrade López, Rodrigo Ramos Vázquez, Rosa María Galaz Avalos, and Kevin Yam Trujillo for their technical support in sample collection, processing, and analysis. Also, we acknowledge the administrations of Rancho Santa Maria (Panabá, Yucatán), Grutas Las Sartenejas (Tekax, Yucatán), and Parque Ecoturístico Kaalmankal (Tekax, Yucatán) for their facilities for bat sampling. References Anthony SJ, Ojeda-Flores R, Rico-Chávez O, Navarrete-Macias I, Zambrana-Torrelio CM, Rostal MK, Epstein JH, Tipps T, Liang E, Sanchez-Leon M, Sotomayor-Bonilla J, Aguirre AA, Ávila-Flores RA, Medellín RA, Goldstein T, Suzán G, Daszak P, Lipkin WI (2013) Coronaviruses in bats from Mexico. J Gen Virol 94:1028–1038. https://doi.org/10.1099/VIR.0.049759-0 Balboni A, Battilani M, Prosperi S (2012) The SARS-like coronaviruses: the role of bats and evolutionary relationships with SARS coronavirus. New Microbiol 35:1–16. Barrón-Rodríguez RJ, Parra-Laca R, Rojas-Anaya E, Romero-Espinoza JÁI, Ayala-Sumuano JT, Vázquez-Pérez JA, García-Espinosa G, Loza-Rubio E (2022) Evidence of viral communities in three species of bats from rural environment in Mexico. 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Arch Virol 165:2737–2748. https://doi.org/10.1007/S00705-020-04752-X Warmuth VM, Metzler D, Zamora-Gutierrez V (2023) Human disturbance increases coronavirus prevalence in bats. Sci Adv 9. https://doi.org/10.1126/SCIADV.ADD0688 Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4638860","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Short Report","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":327451735,"identity":"a6a2fba9-2c9a-4241-b992-f6ad2abd58be","order_by":0,"name":"Aaron Yeh-Gorocica","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Aaron","middleName":"","lastName":"Yeh-Gorocica","suffix":""},{"id":327451736,"identity":"2c116891-a317-4097-9e65-f3e122ae6cf2","order_by":1,"name":"Guadalupe Ayora-Talavera","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Guadalupe","middleName":"","lastName":"Ayora-Talavera","suffix":""},{"id":327451737,"identity":"30c1e07f-e750-4305-ab51-8a4b44a6aa6a","order_by":2,"name":"Antonio Rivero-Juarez","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía de Córdoba, Universidad de Córdoba","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Antonio","middleName":"","lastName":"Rivero-Juarez","suffix":""},{"id":327451738,"identity":"80660c32-12d6-4610-8284-19a759bb5d51","order_by":3,"name":"Alejandro Suárez-Galaz","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Alejandro","middleName":"","lastName":"Suárez-Galaz","suffix":""},{"id":327451739,"identity":"e33577d2-8b0b-41a3-a3d9-97283571d61b","order_by":4,"name":"Marco Torres-Castro","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABE0lEQVRIie3SsUrDQBjA8S8cXpZP41gpNK9wIaPRvkpCIF07OnaKi61rDl9C8AUiB+0SdT2Jg6HgfKPgDaYtFmsS1E3k/tPlLj8+LgTAZPqzse0q+LSbd71ONgQ3T8lPCWyJ+J44V5e3y/E4gKE9fVFKP7hO/656ViDcAxnu3WCT9J4E8TOWAOLC5zwtPT4b+V4GwuMypI9ZyxgZ0z4yAdhLCNmflCEraL0DwrquiVRN4e4Qre9XxH6ryXBNwiZhOwRovp5CahJ1TfFk7PvIEsRiTqxpGnv8gpKjjI1iXlRp210GMqqWqIOBfZ4SeNWnroPUUurs+GS2iOdlyxf76OvR6n84jCbdoD0n/60wmUym/9k7Lw1f+IlUrxUAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Marco","middleName":"","lastName":"Torres-Castro","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2024-06-25 22:53:16","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4638860/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4638860/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":60746414,"identity":"1171575e-0c65-4ba9-8db4-868e22003925","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2024-07-20 15:53:44","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":348228,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-4638860/v1/8993b485-97f9-45a7-a5bc-aa98566b964f.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Surveillance of SARS-like CoV in bats from Yucatán, Mexico","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe family \u003cem\u003eCoronaviridae\u003c/em\u003e, within the subfamily \u003cem\u003eOrthocoronavirinae\u003c/em\u003e, includes the genera \u003cem\u003eAlphacoronavirus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBetacoronavirus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eGammacoronavirus\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eDeltacoronavirus\u003c/em\u003e (Walker et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). Zoonotic coronaviruses (CoV) causing respiratory diseases are found within \u003cem\u003eAlphacoronavirus\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eBetacoronavirus\u003c/em\u003e (Balboni et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e; Cui et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Evidence indicates a zoonotic origin (from bats and rodents) for two \u003cem\u003eAlphacoronaviruses\u003c/em\u003e (HCoV-229E and HCoV-NL63) and five \u003cem\u003eBetacoronaviruses\u003c/em\u003e (HCoV-OC43, HCoV-HKU1, MERS, SARS-CoV1, and SARS-CoV2) (Ruiz-Aravena et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Notably, SARS-CoV1 and SARS-CoV2 originated from bats and caused significant epidemics and pandemics in the 21st century (V\u0026rsquo;kovski et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGenetically similar \u003cem\u003eBetacoronaviruses\u003c/em\u003e (up to 96%) to SARS-CoV1 and SARS-CoV2 have been reported in bats (Ruiz-Aravena et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). These viruses, known as \"SARS-like Coronaviruses (SL-CoV)\" (Li et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2005\u003c/span\u003e), are of great public health interest due to their zoonotic potential and the possibility of causing new epidemics and pandemics (Menachery et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). SL-CoVs have been detected in bats from Asia, Europe, and Africa (Balboni et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e), while their presence in the Americas remains largely unknown (Hern\u0026aacute;ndez-Aguilar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). This is crucial as some regions in the Americas are considered high-risk areas for the emergence of zoonotic agents (Morse et al. 2021), particularly from bats (Brierley et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). Therefore, surveillance and monitoring of SL-CoV in high-risk regions of the Americas, such as southeastern Mexico, are essential. Priority should be given to areas with high bat density and diversity and significant natural area disturbance, like the Yucat\u0026aacute;n Peninsula (Haro et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Our objective was to evaluate the presence of SL-CoV in bats from Yucat\u0026aacute;n, Mexico.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Materials and Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study was approved by the Bioethics Committee of the Biological and Agricultural Sciences Campus at the Autonomous University of Yucat\u0026aacute;n (reference: CB-CCBA-D-2022-004). The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) of Mexico (references: SPARN/DGVS/06447/22 and SPARN/DGVS/09663/23) authorized captured and sampling.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBat sampling was conducted between August 2022 and July 2023 in two municipalities of Yucat\u0026aacute;n (Tekax and Panab\u0026aacute;), Mexico. The bats were captured using mist nets (6m x 2.4m; Redes Ram\u0026iacute;rez, Mexico). Bat species were identified using a field guide for bats of M\u0026eacute;xico (Medellin et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2008\u003c/span\u003e), and data on trophic guild, sex, and age (juvenile or adult) were recorded for every bat (Torres-Castro et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eRectal and oral swabs as well as whole blood from the brachial vein were collected. These biological samples were chosen for their minimally invasive nature and efficiency in detecting viral RNA of SL-CoV in bats (Anthony et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; V\u0026rsquo;kovski et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e). All samples were placed in DMEM medium and transported to the Zoonoses and other Vector-borne Diseases Laboratory at the Regional Research Center \u0026lsquo;Dr \u0026mdash; Hideyo Noguchi\u0026rsquo; for storage at -80\u0026ordm;C until processing.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal RNA extraction from each sample was performed using RNA get (Biotecnolog\u0026iacute;as Moleculares, Mexico) following the manufacturer's instructions. RNA concentration and quality were determined by spectrophotometry using a Nanodrop 2000\u0026reg; (Thermo Scientific, USA), with optimal values of 50\u0026ndash;100 ng/\u0026micro;L for concentration and 1.8-2 for integrity in the 260 nm/280 nm ratio. Additionally, the viability of the RNA extraction was assessed by RT-PCR of the constitutive \u003cem\u003eGAPDH\u003c/em\u003e gene using the RevertAid HMinus First Strand Synthesis Kit\u0026reg; (Thermo Scientific, USA). Once the quality criteria of the extract were confirmed, RNA from each bat\u0026rsquo;s feces, saliva, and blood was pooled for subsequent analysis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSL-CoV RNA detection was performed by amplifying a fragment of the virus's envelope protein \u003cem\u003eE\u003c/em\u003e gene (Corman et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) using one-step RT-qPCR with the PrimeTime One-Step RT-qPCR Master Mix (Integrated DNA Technologies, USA) following the manufacturer's instructions. Nucleotide BLAST and Primer-BLAST confirmed the ability to amplify SL-CoV RNA with this primer pair and probe set (analysis not shown). The RT-qPCR protocol was conducted on a CFX-96 Touch (Bio-Rad, Hercules, California, USA). A positive control was employed using a human SARS-CoV2 isolate provided by the Virology Laboratory at the Dr. Hideyo Noguchi Regional Research Center.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cp\u003eA total of 144 bats from six species (\u003cem\u003ePeropteryx macrotis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eGlossophaga mutica\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eSturnira parvidens\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eArtibeus jamaicensis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eDermanura phaeotis\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eMolossus nigricans\u003c/em\u003e) were included in the study. The general characteristics of the evaluated population are described in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e. All samples met the RNA concentration and viability criteria for analysis. None of the samples tested positive for the presence of SL-CoV RNA.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMain characteristics of sampled bat\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCharacteristics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003en (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpecies\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePeropteryx macrotis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8 (5.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGlossophaga mutica\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e61 (42.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eArtibeus jamaicensis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e50 (34.7)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDermanura phaeotis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6 (4.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSturnira parvidens\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16 (11.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMolossus nigricans\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3 (2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrophic guild\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrugivore\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e72 (50)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eInsectivore\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11 (7.6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNectarivore\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e61 (42.4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSex\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e68 (47.2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e76 (52.8)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAge\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJuvenile\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e115 (79.9)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAdult\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29 (20.1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"2\"\u003eLegend: number of specimens (n).\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis is the first study focused on the surveillance of SL-CoV in bats of Yucat\u0026aacute;n State, Mexico. The absence of SL-CoV RNA in the sampled bats is consistent with previous findings in Mexico (Colunga-Salas and Hern\u0026aacute;ndez-Canchola \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Hern\u0026aacute;ndez-Aguilar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Despite the identification of several \u003cem\u003eBetacoronaviruses\u003c/em\u003e in this country, no study has detected SL-CoV (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e), suggesting a low risk of SL-CoV emergence in Mexico. This could be related to the bat genera present in the Americas. SL-CoVs have been identified in Asia, Europe, and Africa, primarily in the genera \u003cem\u003eRhinolophus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eHipposideros\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eChaerophon\u003c/em\u003e (Balboni et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e), which are not found in the Americas.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSL-CoV in bats from Mexico\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRegion\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpecies\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYear of sampling\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSample type\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSL-CoV Positive\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReference\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eJalisco\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eArtibeus jamaicensis, Artibeus phaeotis, Balantiopteryx plicata, Desmodus rotundus, Glossophaga soricina, Lasiurus cinereus, Mormoops megalophylla, Pteronotus davyi, Pteronotus parnellii, Pteronotus personatus, Sturnira lilium\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eSturnira ludovici\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2007\u0026ndash;2010\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntestine\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003csup\u003e1\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGoes et al. 2013\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMorelos\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePteronotus parnellii, Artibeus spp. Artibeus phaeotis\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eMacrotus waterhousii\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2016\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRectal swap\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBarr\u0026oacute;n-Rodriguez et al. 2022\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCampeche, Chiapas and Mexico city.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eArtibeus lituratus, Artibeus phaeotis, Artibeus jamaicensis, Artibeus watsoni, Glossophaga soricina, Glossophaga commissarisi, Carollia sowelli, Carollia perspicillata, Sturnira Ludovici, Sturnira lilium, Leptonycteris nivalis, Leptonycteris yerbabuenae, Centurio senex, Platyrrhinus helleri, Uroderma bilobatum, Desmodus rotundus, Micronycteris schmidtorum, Micronycteris microtis, Mimon cozumelae, Phyllostomus discolour, Choeroniscus godmani, Trachops cirrhosis, Tonatia saurophila, Chrotopterus auratus, Lonchorhina aurita, Phylloderma stenops, Mormoops megalohyla, teronotus davyi, Pteronotus parnellii, Nyctinomops macrotis, Nyctinomops laticaudatus, Tadarida brasiliensis, Myotis velifer, Myotis occultus, Myotis keaysi, Myotis nigricans, Eptesicus fuscus, Corynorhinus mexicanus, Lasiurus intermedius, Bauerus dubiaquercus, Rhynchonycteris naso\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eSaccopteryx bilineata.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2013\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBlood\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e606\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAnthony et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOaxaca\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eArtibeus jamaicensis, Artibeus lituratus, Artibeus toltecus, Carolia perspicillata, Desmodus rotundus\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eGlossophaga mutica\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2019\u0026ndash;2022\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLiver tissue\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHern\u0026aacute;ndez-Aguilar et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYucatan\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eArtibeus jamaicensis, Dermanura phaeotis, Glossophaga mutica, Molossus nigricans, Peropteryx macrotis\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eSturnira parvidens\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2023\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRectal and oral swab, and blood.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e144\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePresent study\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"7\"\u003eLegend: Severe acute respiratory virus like coronaviruses (SL-CoV)\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"7\"\u003e[1] Identified one \u003cem\u003eBetacoronavirus\u003c/em\u003e strain (non-SL-CoV).\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"7\"\u003e[2] Identified in a pool of rectal samples (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;13) a \u003cem\u003eBetacoronavirus\u003c/em\u003e strain (non-SL-CoV).\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"7\"\u003e[3] Identified nine \u003cem\u003eAlphacoronavirus\u003c/em\u003e and four individuals with \u003cem\u003eBetacoronavirus\u003c/em\u003e strains (non-SL-CoV).\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn Mexico, most \u003cem\u003eAlphacoronaviruses\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eBetacoronaviruses\u003c/em\u003e have been reported in bats of the genera \u003cem\u003eArtibeus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eCarollia\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eEptesicus\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eLonchorhina\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eMyotis\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003ePteronotus\u003c/em\u003e (Anthony et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2013\u003c/span\u003e; Barr\u0026oacute;n-Rodriguez et al. 2022; Goes et al. 2013), which, according to phylogenetic analyses, are not related to SL-CoVs (Colunga-Salas and Hern\u0026aacute;ndez-Canchola \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Moreover, the overall prevalence of CoVs in bats is higher in Asia, Europe, Africa, and Oceania (around 13%) compared to the Americas (approximately 6.5%) (Warmuth et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). This indicates that despite the high diversity of bat species and the high risk of emerging zoonotic pathogens, the probability of zoonotic CoVs emergence from bats in the Americas might be low.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe combined effects of human impact, climate, and mammalian species richness influence CoVs prevalence in bats (Warmuth et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). In the Yucat\u0026aacute;n Peninsula, recent decades have seen significant natural area disturbances due to agriculture, population growth, tourism, and other factors (Haro et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). These disturbances lead to closer interactions between humans and animals, increasing the risk of emerging and re-emerging zoonotic disease outbreaks in humans (Bonilla-Aldana et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e; Canche-Pool et al. 2022; Li et al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). Although there is currently no evidence of SL-CoV circulation in bats in Mexico, this situation could change. Therefore, continuous surveillance of SL-CoV in wildlife species, including bats, is advisable.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn conclusion, our study did not detect the presence of SL-CoV in bats from Yucat\u0026aacute;n, suggesting that the risk of these viruses emerging in Mexico is low. Nevertheless, ongoing surveillance of these viruses in bats is recommended as a precautionary measure.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e \u003ch2\u003eConflict of interests:\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no competing interests. Neither the authors nor their institutions have at any time received payment or services from a third party for any aspect of the submitted work (data monitoring board, study design, manuscript preparation, statistical analysis, or other aspects).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eFunding:\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis work was supported by the Andalusian General Secretariat for Research, Development, and Innovation in Health (PI-0287-2019), the Spanish Ministry of Health (RD12/0017/0012), co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). AYG was supported by CONAHCYT Grant no. 413387. ARJ is supported by a contract from the Spanish Junta de Andaluc\u0026iacute;a (Nicolas Monardes program: C1-0001-2023). The funders did not play any role in the design, conclusions, interpretation of the study, or decision to publish.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAuthor Contribution\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eConceptualization: ARJ and MTC. Formal analysis: AYG and GAT. Funding acquisition: ARJ and MTC. Investigation: AYG, ASG and MAT. Methodology: all authors. Project administration: ARJ and MTC. Resources: ARJ, ASG and MTC. Software: AYG, ARJ and GAT. Supervision: ARJ, GAT, and MTC. Validation: AYG, ARJ, and GAT. Visualization: AYG, ARJ, and MTC. Writing - original draft: AYG, ARJ and MTC. Writing - review \u0026amp; editing: all authors.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAcknowledgement\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWe gratefully acknowledge Alonso Panti May, Melissa Su\u0026aacute;rez Galaz, Claudia Carillo Chan, Rodolfo Chan Chan, Raymundo Matu G\u0026oacute;ngora, Bibiana Reyes Hern\u0026aacute;ndez, Ang\u0026eacute;lica Andrade L\u0026oacute;pez, Rodrigo Ramos V\u0026aacute;zquez, Rosa Mar\u0026iacute;a Galaz Avalos, and Kevin Yam Trujillo for their technical support in sample collection, processing, and analysis. Also, we acknowledge the administrations of Rancho Santa Maria (Panab\u0026aacute;, Yucat\u0026aacute;n), Grutas Las Sartenejas (Tekax, Yucat\u0026aacute;n), and Parque Ecotur\u0026iacute;stico Kaalmankal (Tekax, Yucat\u0026aacute;n) for their facilities for bat sampling.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAnthony SJ, Ojeda-Flores R, Rico-Ch\u0026aacute;vez O, Navarrete-Macias I, Zambrana-Torrelio CM, Rostal MK, Epstein JH, Tipps T, Liang E, Sanchez-Leon M, Sotomayor-Bonilla J, Aguirre AA, \u0026Aacute;vila-Flores RA, Medell\u0026iacute;n RA, Goldstein T, Suz\u0026aacute;n G, Daszak P, Lipkin WI (2013) Coronaviruses in bats from Mexico. J Gen Virol 94:1028\u0026ndash;1038. https://doi.org/10.1099/VIR.0.049759-0\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBalboni A, Battilani M, Prosperi S (2012) The SARS-like coronaviruses: the role of bats and evolutionary relationships with SARS coronavirus. 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Sci Adv 9. https://doi.org/10.1126/SCIADV.ADD0688\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"SARS-like coronaviruses, bats, Yucatan, viruses","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4638860/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4638860/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eSARS-like coronaviruses (SL-CoV) have been identified in bats globally and are of significant public health interest due to their potential to cause new epidemics and pandemics. However, their presence in the Americas remains largely unexplored. This study aimed to conduct surveillance for SL-CoV in bats from the Yucat\u0026aacute;n Peninsula, Mexico. Bat sampling was conducted between August 2022 and July 2023 in two municipalities (Tekax and Panab\u0026aacute;) of Yucat\u0026aacute;n, Mexico. Rectal and oral swabs as well as whole blood samples were collected from each bat. RNA was extracted from all samples. SL-CoV RNA detection was performed using one-step RT-qPCR targeting the E gene of the viruses. One hundred forty-four bats from six species were included. All biological samples met the RNA concentration and viability criteria for analysis. Our study did not detect SL-CoV in bats from Yucat\u0026aacute;n, suggesting a low risk of SL-CoV emergence in southeastern Mexico. Continuous surveillance of SL-CoV in bat populations is recommended due to the dynamic of zoonotic disease risks and the potential for changes in virus circulation patterns.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Surveillance of SARS-like CoV in bats from Yucatán, Mexico","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2024-07-18 06:48:04","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-4638860/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"6eca3f9a-a849-4d8a-b46e-bab205efd73f","owner":[],"postedDate":"July 18th, 2024","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2024-07-20T15:45:35+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2024-07-18 06:48:04","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-4638860","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-4638860","identity":"rs-4638860","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"qtupq5eGEP_6zYnWcrvyt","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}