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Comprehensive investigation of SARS-CoV-2-like coronavirus infection in horseshoe bats (a natural host of SARS-CoV-2) and its effect on bat immunity and behavior (SARSCoV-2 in natural host)

Grant number: unknown

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Key facts

  • Disease

    COVID-19

  • Funder

    e-Asia JRP

  • Principal Investigator

    Associate Professor Kei Sato

  • Research Location

    Viet Nam, Japan

  • Lead Research Institution

    The University of Tokyo

  • Research Priority Alignment

    N/A

  • Research Category

    Animal and environmental research and research on diseases vectors

  • Research Subcategory

    Animal source and routes of transmission

  • Special Interest Tags

    N/A

  • Study Type

    Non-Clinical

  • Clinical Trial Details

    N/A

  • Broad Policy Alignment

    Pending

  • Age Group

    Not Applicable

  • Vulnerable Population

    Not applicable

  • Occupations of Interest

    Not applicable

Abstract

This interdisciplinary collaborative research aims to reveal the effect of the infection of SARS-like coronaviruses (SLCoVs) on the immunity and behavior of wild horseshoe bats, a putative natural host of SARS-CoV-2. Specifically, the Viet Nam research team captures wild bats and assess SL-CoV infection. The Japanese research team analyzes the diversity of SL-CoVs in wild bats in Vietnam. Additionally, the Japanese research team experimentally investigates the dynamics of SL-CoV infection by virological and bioinformatic analyses. The results from the Japanese research team will be fed back to the Vietnam team and combined with the findings of the distribution of SL-CoVpositive bats and their ecology. Through the collaborative and complementary research among these two countries, this research is expected to reveal the dynamics of SL-CoV infection in wild bats and estimate the potential risk of viral spillover to humans.