No molecular evidence for influenza A virus and coronavirus in bats belonging to the families Phyllostomidae, Vespertilionidae, and Molossidae in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

This study aimed to evaluate, by molecular methods, the presence of influenza A virus (IAV) and coronavirus in non-hematophagous bats collected in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Samples of lung tissue and small intestine from 105 bats belonging to three families (Phyllostomidae, Vespertilionidae, and Molossidae) were collected in 22 municipalities in the state of São Paulo. Genetic identification of bats species was performed by amplification and sequencing of a fragment of 710 bp of the mitochondrial COI gene. In the detection of IAV, genomes were performed by RT-PCR, aiming at the amplification of a 245-bp fragment of the IAV matrix (M) protein gene. For coronaviruses, two fragments of 602 and 440 bp corresponding to segments along the gene encoding the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) were targeted. The detection limit for each of the PCRs was also determined. All samples analyzed here were negative for both viruses, and the lower limit of detection of the PCRs for the amplification of influenza virus A and coronavirus was estimated at 3.5 × 103 and 4.59 genomic copies per microliter, respectively. Although bats have been shown to harbor a large number of pathogens, the results of the present study support the theory that virus circulation in bats in the wild often occurs at low viral loads and that our understanding of the complex infectious dynamics of these viruses in wild conditions is still limited.

No Evidence of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Neotropical Primates Sampled During COVID-19 Pandemic in Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

In 2019, a new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) was detected in China. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was capable to infect domestic and captive mammals like cats, tigers and minks. Due to genetic similarities, concern about the infection of non-human primates (NHPs) and the establishment of a sylvatic cycle has grown in the Americas. In this study, neotropical primates (NP) were sampled in different areas from Brazil to investigate whether they were infected by SARS-CoV-2. A total of 89 samples from 51 NP of four species were examined. No positive samples were detected via RT-qPCR, regardless of the NHP species, tissue or habitat tested. This work provides the first report on the lack of evidence of the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in NP. The expansion of wild animals sampling is necessary to understand their role in the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 and other potentially zoonotic pathogens in natural environments shared by humans.