Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41202095›Full record

ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2025

Detection and genetic characterization of alphacoronaviruses in co-roosting bat species, southeastern Kenya.

Joseph G Ogola, Hussein Alburkat, Teemu Smura, Lauri Kareinen, Ravi Kant, Essi M Korhonen, Tamika J Lunn, Moses Masika, Paul W Webala, Philip Nyaga and 4 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Joseph G OgolaDepartment of Medical Microbiology and KAVI Institute of Clinical Research, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.ORCID 0000-0002-4788-5649
Hussein AlburkatDepartments of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Teemu SmuraDepartments of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Lauri KareinenDepartments of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Ravi KantDepartments of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Essi M KorhonenDepartments of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Tamika J LunnOdum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GeorgiaUnited States of America.
Moses MasikaDepartment of Medical Microbiology and KAVI Institute of Clinical Research, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
Paul W WebalaDepartment of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Maasai Mara University, Narok, Kenya.
Philip NyagaDepartment of Veterinary Pathology, Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
Omu AnzalaDepartment of Medical Microbiology and KAVI Institute of Clinical Research, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.
Olli VapalahtiDepartments of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Kristian M ForbesDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States of America.
Tarja A SironenDepartments of Virology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.

Funding

Academy of FinlandArkansas Biosciences InstituteFinnish Cultural Foundation (OV)Helsinki University HospitalJane and Aatos Erkko FoundationJenny and Antti Wihuri FoundationMaj and Tor Nessling Foundation
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Bats are associated with some of the most significant and virulent emerging zoonoses globally, yet research and surveillance of bat pathogens remains limited across parts of the world. We surveyed the prevalence and genetic diversity of coronaviruses from bats in Taita Hills, southeastern Kenya, as part of ongoing surveillance efforts in this remote part of eastern Africa. We collected fecal and intestinal samples in May 2018 and March 2019 from 16 bat species. We detected one genus of coronavirus (alphacoronavirus), with an overall RNA prevalence of 6.5% (30/463). The prevalence of coronavirus RNA was 3.8% (9/235) and 11.6% (21/181) for the two most captured free-tailed bat species, Mops condylurus and M. pumilus respectively, with no detections from other bat species (0/90). Phylogenetic analyses based on the partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene and whole genome sequences revealed that the sequences clustered together and were closely related to alphacoronavirus detected in free tailed bats in Eswatini, Nigeria and Rhinolophus simulator bats in South Africa. The sequences were more distantly related to alphacoronavirus isolated from Chaerophon plicatus bat species in Yunnan province, China and Ozimops species from southwestern Australia. These findings highlight coronavirus transmission among bats that share habitats with humans and livestock, posing a potential risk of exposure. Future research should investigate whether coronaviruses detected in these bats have the potential to spillover to other hosts.

Indexed as

AlphacoronavirusChiropteraCoronavirus InfectionsAnimalsFecesGenetic VariationGenome, ViralKenyaPhylogenyRNA, ViralRNA, Viral

Identifiers

PMID41202095
PMCPMC12633888

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.