Little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) are resistant to SARS-CoV-2 infection
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Abstract
It has been proposed that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus that spread through human populations as a pandemic originated in Asian bats. There is concern that infected humans could transmit the virus to native North American bats; therefore, the susceptibility of several North American bat species to the pandemic virus has been experimentally assessed. Big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus) were shown to be resistant to infection by SARS-CoV-2, whereas Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) became infected and orally excreted moderate amounts of virus for up to 18 d postinoculation. Little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) frequently contact humans, and their populations are threatened over much of their range due to white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease that is continuing to spread across North America. We experimentally challenged little brown bats with SARS-CoV-2 to determine their susceptibility and host potential and whether the virus presents an additional risk to this species. We found that this species was resistant to infection by SARS-CoV-2. These findings provide reassurance to wildlife rehabilitators, biologists, conservation scientists, and the public at large who are concerned with possible transmission of this virus to threatened bat populations.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) are resistant to SARS-CoV-2 infection |
| Series title | Journal of Wildlife Diseases |
| DOI | 10.7589/JWD-D-23-00114 |
| Volume | 60 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Year Published | 2024 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Wildlife Disease Association |
| Contributing office(s) | National Wildlife Health Center |
| Description | 7 p. |
| First page | 924 |
| Last page | 930 |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |