Testing bats in rehabilitation for SARS-CoV-2 before release into the wild

Jones, Scott; Bell, Thomas; Coleman, Christopher M; Harris, Danielle; Woodward, Guy; Worledge, Lisa; Roberts, Helen; McElhinney, Lorraine; Aegerter, James; Ransome, Emma; Savolainen, Vincent

Abstract

Several studies have suggested SARS-CoV-2 originated from a viral ancestor in bats, but whether transmission occurred directly or via an intermediary host to humans remains unknown. Concerns of spillover of SARS-CoV-2 into wild bat populations are hindering bat rehabilitation and conservation efforts in the United Kingdom and elsewhere. Current protocols state that animals cared for by individuals who have tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 cannot be released into the wild and must be isolated to reduce the risk of transmission to wild populations. Here, we propose a reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR)-based protocol for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in bats, using fecal sampling. Bats from the United Kingdom were tested following suspected exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and tested negative for the virus. With current UK and international legislation, the identification of SARS-CoV-2 infection in wild animals is becoming increasingly important, and protocols such as the one developed here will help improve understanding and mitigation of SARS-CoV-2 in the future. [Abstract copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Conservation Science and Practice published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.]

Citation

Jones, S., Bell, T., Coleman, C. M., Harris, D., Woodward, G., Worledge, L., Roberts, H., McElhinney, L., Aegerter, J., Ransome, E., & Savolainen, V. (2022). Testing bats in rehabilitation for SARS-CoV-2 before release into the wild. Conservation Science and Practice, 4(7), Article e12707. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.12707

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 22, 2022
• Online Publication Date: May 5, 2022
• Publication Date: 2022-07
• Deposit Date: Sep 2, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 5, 2024
• Journal: Conservation science and practice
• Electronic ISSN: 2578-4854
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 4
• Issue: 7
• Article Number: e12707
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.12707
• Keywords: quantitative PCR, SARS‐CoV‐2, fecal RNA, bats, spillover, COVID‐19, coronavirus, rehabilitation
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/10628152
• Publisher URL: https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/csp2.12707
• Additional Information: Received: 2021-12-15; Accepted: 2022-04-22; Published: 2022-05-05