Bats Are Natural Reservoirs of SARS-Like Coronaviruses

TLDR

Severe acute respiratory syndrome emerged in 2002–2003 in southern China, but the origin of its etiological agent, SARS coronavirus, remains unclear. We found that bats naturally harbor genetically diverse SARS‑like coronaviruses, and phylogenetic analysis shows that human and civet SARS‑CoV isolates fall within this bat‑derived group, indicating the outbreak virus originated from this coronavirus lineage.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) emerged in 2002 to 2003 in southern China. The origin of its etiological agent, the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), remains elusive. Here we report that species of bats are a natural host of coronaviruses closely related to those responsible for the SARS outbreak. These viruses, termed SARS-like coronaviruses (SL-CoVs), display greater genetic variation than SARS-CoV isolated from humans or from civets. The human and civet isolates of SARS-CoV nestle phylogenetically within the spectrum of SL-CoVs, indicating that the virus responsible for the SARS outbreak was a member of this coronavirus group.