Coronavirus similar to SARS-CoV-2 in Indian bats: ICMR study

Researchers have found coronaviruses in 2 species of Indian bats. The Indian Council of Medical Research published this on April 13, 2020. The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has made these viruses a household name. Because of the current COVID-19 pandemic across the world. Bats are considered a natural reservoir for many viruses. Human pathogenic viruses (eg, rabies, hendra, marburg, nipah, ebola) have come from these flying mammals.The coronaviruses found in the bats (BtCoV) were 96% similar to SARS-CoV-2. They were found in samples of Rousettus and Pteropus bat species from Kerala, Himachal, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu. Researchers collected throat swabs and rectal swabs from the bats.Polymerase chain reaction / reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR/RT-PCR) were used for testing. Earlier, the nipah virus was also detected in Pteropus in Kerala. The 2 species — flying fox bats and fruit bats — are mostly found in the Western Ghats.