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. 2011 Feb;139(2):216-9.
doi: 10.1017/S0950268810001147. Epub 2010 May 18.

Detection of a virus related to betacoronaviruses in Italian greater horseshoe bats

A Balboni  1 , A Palladini, G Bogliani, M Battilani
Affiliations

Detection of a virus related to betacoronaviruses in Italian greater horseshoe bats

A Balboni et al. Epidemiol Infect. 2011 Feb.

Abstract

The association between coronaviruses and bats is a worldwide phenomenon and bats belonging to genus Rhinolophus are the reservoir host for several coronaviruses, including a large number of viruses closely related genetically to severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV). We carried out a survey in colonies of Italian bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) for the presence of coronaviruses. Two of 52 R. ferrumequinum captured from different Italian areas tested positive by reverse transcription-PCR for a fragment of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene of viruses related to Coronavirus. Phylogenetic analysis revealed close correlations between one of the positive samples and SARS-related CoV belonging to the genus Betacoronavirus.

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