Mastodawn

Jun 28, 2023

New coronaviruses found in UK. Unclear if can become a threat to humans.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02151-1

Trove of new coronaviruses uncovered in bats — but threat is unclear

Horseshoe bats carry viruses closely related to SARS-CoV-2, but they probably can’t spread in people yet.

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Mark Jun 28, 2023

@rchusid
This from August 2015 #bat #virus research in #NewZealand:
"Richard and his team have had some unexpected results. The team discovered not only a novel #coronavirus, but also sequences that are related to #polyomaviruses, #papillomaviruses, #hepeviruses and #caliciviruses."
...
"A great deal more surveillance work needs to be conducted in New Zealand on our bat species and many questions remain unanswered."
https://oldwww.landcareresearch.co.nz/publications/newsletters/kararehe-kino/kararehe-kino-issue-26/viruses-in-bats

Viruses in New Zealand bats

Bats are important supernatural and cultural icons around the world. They are also known to harbour diseases capable of infecting humans. Rabies is probably the most widely known such disease, but bats may have also

Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research

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Mark Jul 2, 2023

@rchusid
New preprint:
"Virome analysis of New Zealand’s bats reveals cross-species viral transmission among the Coronaviridae" from Jemma Geoghegan et al.
Lots of really interesting stuff in this, well beyond only coronaviridae.
#coronavirus #bats #virology
https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.06.19.545647v1

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Mark

@rchusid
and a good write-up of the paper here, with links to other new research:
"Scientists discover ‘shortest’ coronavirus in NZ bats (but there’s no risk to us)"
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/scientists-discover-shortest-coronavirus-in-nz-bats-but-theres-no-risk-to-us/PZX4GTY675BM7KS4GBG46KU2BM/

Scientists discover ‘shortest’ coronavirus in NZ bats

Scientists have revealed a plethora of viruses within NZ's endangered native bats.

NZ Herald