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A novel SARS-CoV-2 related coronavirus in bats from Cambodia

Hul, V.; Delaune, D.; Karlsson, E. A.; Hassanin, A.; Ou Tey, P.; Baidaliuk, A.; Gambaro, F.; Tu, V. T.; Keatts, L.; Mazet, J.; Johnson, C.; Buchy, P.; Dussart, P.; Goldstein, T.; Simon-Loriere, E.; Duong, V.

2021-01-26 microbiology Community evaluation
10.1101/2021.01.26.428212 bioRxiv
Show abstract

Knowledge of the origin and reservoir of the coronavirus responsible for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is still fragmentary. To date, the closest relatives to SARS-CoV-2 have been detected in Rhinolophus bats sampled in the Yunnan province, China. Here we describe the identification of SARS-CoV-2 related coronaviruses in two Rhinolophus shameli bats sampled in Cambodia in 2010. Metagenomic sequencing identified nearly identical viruses sharing 92.6% nucleotide identity with SARS-CoV-2. Most genomic regions are closely related to SARS-CoV-2, with the exception of a small region corresponding to the spike N terminal domain. The discovery of these viruses in a bat species not found in China indicates that SARS-CoV-2 related viruses have a much wider geographic distribution than previously understood, and suggests that Southeast Asia represents a key area to consider in the ongoing search for the origins of SARS-CoV-2, and in future surveillance for coronaviruses.

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