{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,15]],"date-time":"2025-12-15T19:51:43Z","timestamp":1765828303760,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":49,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,8]],"date-time":"2023-07-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1688774400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001871","name":"Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e a Tecnologia (FCT)","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2021.09380.BD","UIDB\/04750\/2020","LA\/P\/0064\/2020","UIDP\/00772\/2020","LA\/P\/0059\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2021.09380.BD","UIDB\/04750\/2020","LA\/P\/0064\/2020","UIDP\/00772\/2020","LA\/P\/0059\/2020"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001871","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The emergence of novel coronaviruses (CoVs) has emphasized the need to understand their diversity and distribution in animal populations. Bats have been identified as crucial reservoirs for CoVs, and they are found in various bat species worldwide. In this study, we investigated the presence of CoVs of four cavernicolous bats in six locations in the centre and south of Portugal. We collected faeces, anal, and buccal swab samples, as well as air samples from the locations using a Coriolis air sampler. Our results indicate that CoVs were more readily detected in faecal samples compared to anal and buccal swab samples. No CoVs were detected in the air samples. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the detected viruses belong to the Alphacoronavirus genus. This study represents the first report of Alphacoronaviruses circulating in bats in Portugal and highlights the importance of continuous surveillance for novel CoVs in bat populations globally. Ongoing surveillance for CoVs in bat populations is essential as they are a vital source of these viruses. It is crucial to understand the ecological relationships between animals, humans, and the environment to prevent and control the emergence and transmission of infectious diseases. Further ecological studies are needed to investigate the factors contributing to the emergence and transmission of zoonotic viruses.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v15071521","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,10]],"date-time":"2023-07-10T00:45:37Z","timestamp":1688949937000},"page":"1521","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["First Report of Alphacoronavirus Circulating in Cavernicolous Bats from Portugal"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Mahima","family":"Hemnani","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Porto University, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8384-0640","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Priscilla Gomes da","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Porto University, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Epidemiology Research Unit (EPIunit), Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Laborat\u00f3rio Para a Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o Integrativa e Translacional em Sa\u00fade Populacional (ITR), 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"LEPABE\u2014Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnotlogy and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"ALiCE\u2014Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Gertrude","family":"Thompson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Porto University, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o em Biodiversidade e Recursos Gen\u00e9ticos, InBIO Laborat\u00f3rio Associado, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vair\u00e3o, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0925-689X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Patricia","family":"Poeta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Microbiology and Antibiotic Resistance Team (MicroART), Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Tr\u00e1s-os Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"},{"name":"Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry (LAQV-REQUIMTE), University NOVA of Lisbon, 1099-085 Caparica, Portugal"},{"name":"Veterinary and Animal Research Centre (CECAV), University of Tr\u00e1s-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"},{"name":"Veterinary and Animal Research Centre, Associate Laboratory for Animal and Veterinary Science (AL4AnimalS), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Hugo","family":"Rebelo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o em Biodiversidade e Recursos Gen\u00e9ticos, InBIO Laborat\u00f3rio Associado, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vair\u00e3o, Portugal"},{"name":"ESS, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Set\u00fabal, 2910-761 Set\u00fabal, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8769-8103","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o R.","family":"Mesquita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Porto University, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Epidemiology Research Unit (EPIunit), Institute of Public Health, University of Porto, 4099-002 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,7,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"1","article-title":"Coronaviruses in Bats","volume":"134","author":"Bokelmann","year":"2021","journal-title":"Berl. 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