As the number of cases of the novel coronavirus refuses to stop rising, a recent study by the Indian Council of Medical Research has revealed that they have found the presence of a different kind of coronavirus in two species of bats from different states in the country.
25 bats from the species of Rousettus and Pteropus have tested positive for the Bat coronavirus (BtCov) in the states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, and Puducherry. However, Dr. Pragya Yadav, Scientist at the National Institute of Virology and the first author of the study that was published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, has clarified that there is no evidence that suggests the possibility of the BtCov affecting the humans.
Dr. Pragya Yadav also said that the Pteropus bats were found positive for the Nipah virus back in 2018 and 2019 in Kerala. She said,
“These bat coronaviruses are different from Sars-Cov-2 that has caused the COVID-19 pandemic. Bats are considered to be the natural reservoir of many viruses, of which some are potential human pathogens. In India, an association of Pteropus medius bats with the Nipah virus was reported in the past. It is suspected that the recently emerged severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2also has its association with bats.”
Scientist suggests for Preemptive Measures
The study that is titled ‘Detection of coronaviruses in Rousettus and Pteropus species of bats from different states of India’ highlighted the need for active and continuous surveillance to pre-empt the possible outbreaks which would be helpful in dealing with the problem. The scientists have also put forth suggestions in dealing with similar outbreaks that might arise in the future.
Apart from the need to proactively observe zoonotic infections in bats, the scientists also called for the cross-sectional antibody surveys in localities where the virus has been detected. The study has demanded an evidence-based surveillance while developing strong measures by working closely with all the stakeholders such as wildlife, poultry, animal husbandry, and human health departments.
The throat and rectal swab samples of the two bat species were taken from seven states. While Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Himachal Pradesh turned out to be positive, the samples from Karnataka, Chandigarh, Punjab, Telengana, Gujarat, and Odisha were negative.
