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Serological Surveillance of Betacoronaviruses in Bat Guano Collectors: Pre-COVID-19 Pandemic and Post-SARS-CoV-2 Emergence

  1. Author:
    Ninwattana, Sasiprapa
    Sterling, Spencer L [ORCID]
    Rattanatumhi, Khwankamon [ORCID]
    Thippamom, Nattakarn
    Hirunpatrawong, Piyapha [ORCID]
    Sangsub, Pakamas
    Cheun-Arom, Thaniwan [ORCID]
    Esposito,Dominic [ORCID]
    Tan, Chee Wah
    Yap, Wee Chee
    Zhu, Feng [ORCID]
    Wang, Lin-Fa [ORCID]
    Laing, Eric D [ORCID]
    Wacharapluesadee, Supaporn [ORCID]
    Putcharoen, Opass [ORCID]

  2. Author Address

    Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Clinical Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok 10330, Thailand., Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand., Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA., Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA., Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok 10240, Thailand., Protein Expression Laboratory, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, NIH, Frederick, MD 21701, USA., Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117545, Singapore., Programme in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore 169857, Singapore., Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.,
    1. Year: 2025
    2. Date: Jun 10
    3. Epub Date: 2025 06 10
  2. Journal: Viruses
    1. 17
    2. 6
    3. Pages: 837
  4. Type of Article: Article
  5. Article Number: 837
  1. Abstract:

    Community-based serosurveillance for emerging zoonotic viruses can provide a powerful and cost-effective measurement of cryptic spillovers. Betacoronaviruses, including SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV, are known to infect bats and can cause severe respiratory illness in humans, yet remain under-surveyed in high-risk populations. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of betacoronaviruses in an occupational cohort in contact with bats before and after the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. Serum samples from pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic were screened using antigen-based multiplex microsphere immunoassays (MMIAs) and a multiplex surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT). Pre-pandemic samples showed no SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, while post-pandemic samples from vaccinated participants displayed binding and neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and a related bat CoV. Furthermore, one participant (1/237, 0.43%) had persistent antibodies against MERS-CoV in 2017, 2018 and 2021 but was seronegative in 2023, despite reporting no history of traveling abroad or severe pneumonia. The observed sustained antibody levels indicate a possible exposure to MERS-CoV or a MERS-CoV-like virus, although the etiology and clinical relevance of this finding remains unclear. Ongoing surveillance in high-risk populations remains crucial for understanding virus epidemiology and mitigating zoonotic transmission risk.

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External Sources

  1. View Full Text
  2. DOI: 10.3390/v17060837
  3. PMID: 40573428
  4. PMCID: PMC12197454
  5. PII : v17060837

Library Notes

  1. Fiscal Year: FY2024-2025
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