Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42143373›Full record

ArticleOne health outlook2026

Optimization of environmental air sampling for viral metagenomics in a cave-roosting bat assemblage.

Caleb A Huntington, Cassandra M Bonavita, Heather L Wells, Jay D Tiemann, Isamara Navarrete-Macias, Reed F Johnson, Lisa E Hensley, Simon J Anthony

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in One health outlook, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

8 authors.

Caleb A HuntingtonDepartment of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, USA. chunting@ucdavis.edu.
Cassandra M BonavitaDepartment of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
Heather L WellsDepartment of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
Jay D TiemannDepartment of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
Isamara Navarrete-MaciasDepartment of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
Reed F JohnsonZoonotic and Emerging Disease Research Unit, National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Manhattan, KS, USA.
Lisa E HensleyZoonotic and Emerging Disease Research Unit, National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Manhattan, KS, USA.
Simon J AnthonyDepartment of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California - Davis, Davis, CA, USA. sjanthony@ucdavis.edu.

Funding

NSF #2412522
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEnvironmental air sampling holds significant potential as a tool for viral surveillance. Its use in agricultural and indoor settings has demonstrated its feasibility and effectiveness but despite this, it has rarely been used in wildlife settings.

methodsTo enable future applications, we optimized key parameters in air sampling methodology using a cave-roosting bat assemblage as a model system. We systematically investigated the impact of sampling conditions (flow rate, sampling duration, and sampling location/deployment time) and post-sampling treatments (DNA/RNA Shield ratios and secondary filtration) on three viral metrics - total mammalian virus abundance, mammalian RNA virus abundance, and Shannon diversity index - generated from next-generation sequencing data.

resultsWe first showed that air sampling can recover broad viral diversity, including alphacoronaviruses and betacoronaviruses. The sampling conditions for maximizing viral metrics were larger air sample volumes (≥24,000 liters) and sampling inside the cave while the bats were roosting, as opposed to at the cave entrance during emergence. Post-sampling treatments had limited impact on viral metrics, but their application may vary depending on the objectives of the study.

conclusionThis work provides a proof-of-concept for applying air sampling for wildlife viral surveillance in a cave-roosting bat assemblage and identifies key sampling parameters.

Indexed as

BatsBiosurveillanceCoronavirusesEnvironmental air samplingWildlife

Identifiers

PMID42143373
PMCPMC13352922

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.