Molecular Characterization of Emerging Viruses in Bats with Possibility of Spillover Between Species

Abstract

In the present study, 200 bats were captured and examined for the presence of certain emerging viruses; (West Nile fever virus (WNV), coronaviruses (CoVs; MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2), Hendra and Nipah (HeV and NiV), Rabies (RABV), Rift Valley fever Virus (RVFV), and Influenza A (IAVs), implicated in zoonotic events by Quantitative Real Time PCR assay (RT-qPCR) using virus-specific primers and probe targeting their highly conserved genes. Furthermore, universal virus family-specific PCR techniques with broad and sensitive coverage were chosen to maximize the chances of exploring new but related viruses. Briefly, the following steps were conducted: • Sampling and collection of various bat samples from different Egyptian governorates; South Sinai, Asyut, Minya, Giza, Qena and Sohag (under Vet-IACUC guidelines) during 2019-2021. • Identification and characterization of autopsied bat species into three different families (Emballonuridae, Pteropodidae, Vespertilionidae) using Identification Keys of Egyptian bats. • Necropsy of different internal organs including (liver, spleen, lung, heart, brain, and salivary glands) and pooling them. • Nucleic acid extraction from each individual pool using column-based method. • Screening of selected viruses using generic RT-PCR assay (TaqMan based qRT-PCR).