Kim Min Chan, Jang Seong Sik, Van Lo Thi, Noh Ji Yeong, Lim Hyun A, Kim Ha Yeon, Mun Da Young, Kim Kihyun, Lee Taek-Woo, Choi Yong Gun, Yoon Sun-Woo, Jeong Dae Gwin, Kim Sun-Sook, Kim Hye Kwon
Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, College of Natural Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea.
Ecological Technology Research Team, Division of Ecological Application, National Institute of Ecology, Seocheon, Republic of Korea.
Virulence. 2025 Dec;16(1):2502551. doi: 10.1080/21505594.2025.2502551. Epub 2025 May 12.
Considering that bat ecology alterations may be linked with pathogen spillover, research on bat coronaviruses, particularly on the infection and transmission pattern among bats in relation with their ecology, is essential. We captured bats distributed in Korea from 2021 to 2022, examined coronaviruses in oral swabs, feces, urine, and ectoparasites, and were able to detect alphacoronavirus. We investigated coronaviruses, but noted no substantial differences in the body condition index in the coronavirus-positive bats. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that bat ecological factors that were significantly associated with coronavirus-positive were roost type, sample type, and bat species. Coronavirus-positive ectoparasite cases suggested additional study on the potential role of them as the viral transmission vectors or fomites. Reinfection of a different coronavirus in recaptured bats was evident, suggesting the possibility that coronavirus circulation can evade the potential protective immunity acquired from previous coronavirus infections. The present findings provide comprehensive information on the coronaviruses transmission dynamics within bat populations linked with bat ecology.
考虑到蝙蝠生态变化可能与病原体溢出有关，对蝙蝠冠状病毒的研究，特别是关于蝙蝠冠状病毒在与其生态相关的蝙蝠中的感染和传播模式的研究至关重要。我们在2021年至2022年期间捕获了分布在韩国的蝙蝠，检测了口腔拭子、粪便、尿液和体外寄生虫中的冠状病毒，并检测到了甲型冠状病毒。我们对冠状病毒进行了调查，但发现冠状病毒阳性蝙蝠的身体状况指数没有显著差异。二元逻辑回归分析显示，与冠状病毒阳性显著相关的蝙蝠生态因素是栖息地类型、样本类型和蝙蝠种类。冠状病毒阳性的体外寄生虫病例表明，需要进一步研究它们作为病毒传播媒介或污染物的潜在作用。在重新捕获的蝙蝠中再次感染不同的冠状病毒是明显的，这表明冠状病毒循环可能会逃避先前冠状病毒感染所获得的潜在保护性免疫。本研究结果提供了与蝙蝠生态相关的蝙蝠种群内冠状病毒传播动态的全面信息。
