TY - JOUR
T1 - Serological Surveillance of Betacoronaviruses in Bat Guano Collectors
T2 - Pre-COVID-19 Pandemic and Post-SARS-CoV-2 Emergence
AU - Ninwattana, Sasiprapa
AU - Sterling, Spencer L.
AU - Rattanatumhi, Khwankamon
AU - Thippamom, Nattakarn
AU - Hirunpatrawong, Piyapha
AU - Sangsub, Pakamas
AU - Cheun-Arom, Thaniwan
AU - Esposito, Dominic
AU - Tan, Chee Wah
AU - Yap, Wee Chee
AU - Zhu, Feng
AU - Wang, Lin Fa
AU - Laing, Eric D.
AU - Wacharapluesadee, Supaporn
AU - Putcharoen, Opass
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 by the authors.
PY - 2025/6
Y1 - 2025/6
N2 - Community-based serosurveillance for emerging zoonotic viruses can provide a powerful and cost-effective measurement of cryptic spillovers. Betacoronaviruses, including SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV, are known to infect bats and can cause severe respiratory illness in humans, yet remain under-surveyed in high-risk populations. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of betacoronaviruses in an occupational cohort in contact with bats before and after the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. Serum samples from pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic were screened using antigen-based multiplex microsphere immunoassays (MMIAs) and a multiplex surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT). Pre-pandemic samples showed no SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, while post-pandemic samples from vaccinated participants displayed binding and neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and a related bat CoV. Furthermore, one participant (1/237, 0.43%) had persistent antibodies against MERS-CoV in 2017, 2018 and 2021 but was seronegative in 2023, despite reporting no history of traveling abroad or severe pneumonia. The observed sustained antibody levels indicate a possible exposure to MERS-CoV or a MERS-CoV-like virus, although the etiology and clinical relevance of this finding remains unclear. Ongoing surveillance in high-risk populations remains crucial for understanding virus epidemiology and mitigating zoonotic transmission risk.
AB - Community-based serosurveillance for emerging zoonotic viruses can provide a powerful and cost-effective measurement of cryptic spillovers. Betacoronaviruses, including SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV, are known to infect bats and can cause severe respiratory illness in humans, yet remain under-surveyed in high-risk populations. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of betacoronaviruses in an occupational cohort in contact with bats before and after the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. Serum samples from pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic were screened using antigen-based multiplex microsphere immunoassays (MMIAs) and a multiplex surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT). Pre-pandemic samples showed no SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, while post-pandemic samples from vaccinated participants displayed binding and neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and a related bat CoV. Furthermore, one participant (1/237, 0.43%) had persistent antibodies against MERS-CoV in 2017, 2018 and 2021 but was seronegative in 2023, despite reporting no history of traveling abroad or severe pneumonia. The observed sustained antibody levels indicate a possible exposure to MERS-CoV or a MERS-CoV-like virus, although the etiology and clinical relevance of this finding remains unclear. Ongoing surveillance in high-risk populations remains crucial for understanding virus epidemiology and mitigating zoonotic transmission risk.
KW - COVID-19
KW - SARS-CoV-2
KW - betacoronaviruses
KW - binding antibodies
KW - surrogate neutralizing antibodies
KW - zoonotic spillovers
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105009091895&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/v17060837
DO - 10.3390/v17060837
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105009091895
SN - 1999-4915
VL - 17
JO - Viruses
JF - Viruses
IS - 6
M1 - 837
ER -