Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in bats, Saudi Arabia.

Ziad A Memish Nischay Mishra Kevin J Olival Shamsudeen F Fagbo Vishal Kapoor Jonathan H Epstein Rafat Alhakeem Abdulkareem Durosinloun Mushabab Al Asmari Ariful Islam Amit Kapoor Thomas Briese Peter Daszak Abdullah A Al Rabeeah W Ian Lipkin
Active Last checked 2026-09-29 03:30:37 Source: NCBI PubMed

Abstract

The source of human infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus remains unknown. Molecular investigation indicated that bats in Saudi Arabia are infected with several alphacoronaviruses and betacoronaviruses. Virus from 1 bat showed 100% nucleotide identity to virus from the human index case-patient. Bats might play a role in human infection.

Supporting text Virus Host Location
bats 47 coronavirus 198 MERS CoV 1 Middle East respiratory syndrome 6 Saudi Arabia 15 viruses 120 Animals 1981 Chiroptera 376 Coronavirus 93 Coronavirus Infections 172 Genes, Viral 37 Geography 19 Humans 1455 Molecular Sequence Data 160 Phylogeny 826 Respiratory Tract Infections 13 Saudi Arabia 13

Evidence records

4 total
Zoonotic Surveillance
2 records · 1 evidence types
Evidence type
2 records
OVE11513
Key finding

Alphacoronaviruses were molecularly detected in bats in Saudi Arabia.

Virus
Host
Location
Supporting text

Molecular investigation indicated that bats in Saudi Arabia are infected with several alphacoronaviruses and betacoronaviruses.

Method
molecular investigation
Geographic raw
Saudi Arabia
Country inferred
SAU
OVE11514
Key finding

Betacoronaviruses were molecularly detected in bats in Saudi Arabia.

Virus
Host
Location
Supporting text

Molecular investigation indicated that bats in Saudi Arabia are infected with several alphacoronaviruses and betacoronaviruses.

Method
molecular investigation
Geographic raw
Saudi Arabia
Country inferred
SAU
Transmission Evidence
1 records · 1 evidence types
Evidence type
1 records
OVE11516
Key finding

Virus from a bat in Saudi Arabia showed 100% nucleotide identity to virus from a human Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus case, suggesting possible bat-to-human spillover.

Virus
Host
Location
Supporting text

Virus from 1 bat showed 100% nucleotide identity to virus from the human index case-patient. Molecular investigation indicated that bats in Saudi Arabia are infected with several alphacoronaviruses and betacoronaviruses.

Method
molecular sequencing | nucleotide identity comparison
Study design
molecular investigation and comparison of bat and human viral sequences
Transmission direction
animal-to-human
Geographic raw
Saudi Arabia
Country inferred
SAU
Genomic Evolution
1 records · 1 evidence types
Evidence type
1 records
OVE11515
Key finding

A Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus sequence from one bat in Saudi Arabia showed 100% nucleotide identity to the virus from the human index case-patient, indicating a direct genetic relationship between bat and human viruses.

Virus
Host
Location
Not specified
Supporting text

The source of human infection with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus remains unknown. Virus from 1 bat showed 100% nucleotide identity to virus from the human index case-patient.

Analysis methods
nucleotide sequence identity comparison