Preliminary study does not demonstrate SARS-CoV-2 infection in bats from Oaxaca, México during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 virus is the etiological agent of the 2019 coronavirus disease that caused the COVID-19 pandemic.  This virus has achieved sustained transmission across human populations; however, since 2020, reverse zoonotic contagion events have been documented, i.e., the transmission of the virus from humans to domestic and wild animals.  This study aims to determine the natural infection with SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus in bats captured in Oaxaca, México.  Between October 2021 and February 2022, liver samples from 6 bat species were collected to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA by quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction assay.  No natural infection was detected in the samples tested, and no evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was found in the bats examined.  It is necessary to test other organs (e.g., trachea, lymph nodes, lung, heart, and kidney), biological sample (e.g., saliva, urine, and nasal secretions), and a larger number of samples to clarify whether bats in Oaxaca are susceptible to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.