Document text
Principal Investigator: Olivia Cords
Organization: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
Fiscal Year: 2024
Award: $41,972
Funding agency: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
ABSTRACT
Coronavirus Infection Dynamics and Cross-species Transmission in Bats
Prevention of future zoonotic disease emergence, including pandemic threats, is only possible with a thorough
understanding of infection dynamics in reservoir host populations. The emergence of SARS-CoV, MERS, and
SARS-CoV-2 highlight the need to examine bat-borne coronaviruses in their natural environments. Disease
dynamics and cross-species transmission events in bat populations are complex and remain poorly
understood, despite evidence suggesting that cross-species transmission has shaped coronavirus diversity
and evolution and that viruses with broad host ranges may have increased pandemic potential. Understanding
the longitudinal infection dynamics and the ecological conditions under which coronavirus cross-species
transmission events occur will characterize the processes underlying virus emergence in bats. I hypothesize
that coronavirus cross-species transmission dynamics are driven by host ecology and environmental
conditions.
In Aim 1, I will assess ecological drivers of cross-species transmission of coronaviruses in bats. Using viral
surveillance data standardized across 30 countries with over 50,000 individual bats sampled, I will assess the
likelihood of coronavirus cross-species transmission using an evolutionary Bayesian phylogenetic approach.
Covariates examined will include host-genetic similarity, roost-type, reproductive characteristics, conservation
status, and geographical home-range overlap. Cross-species transmission of bat-borne coronaviruses may
play an important role in increasing the distribution of viruses and pandemic potential.
In Aim 2, I will characterize longitudinal dynamics of coronavirus infections in bats in diverse roost locations. I
will lead local fieldwork in California (USA) to characterize seasonality and diversity of coronavirus infections in
primarily single-species roosts. In Myanmar, I will collaborate with an international team to examine longitudinal
dynamics and additionally assess risk factors for coronavirus positivity. The coronavirus and ecological data
generated will help parameterize models to understand the role of cross-species transmission in outbreak
thresholds, thereby revealing mechanism underpinning viral emergence.
My proposed work has specific relevance towards understanding the dynamics underlying the origins of SARS-
CoV-2 and could inform on future pandemic threats. This study will provide actionable insights into public
health risks, especially for local communities that are most likely to be first exposed to emerging diseases.
Terms: <2019 novel corona virus><2019 novel coronavirus><2019-nCoV><Africa><American><Asia><Bats><Bionomics><Burma><COVID-19 predisposition><COVID-19 susceptibility><COVID-19 virus><COVID-19 vulnerability><COVID19 virus><California><Characteristics><Chiroptera><Circulation><CoV emergence><CoV-2><CoV2><Collaborations><Communities><Complex><Coronaviridae><Coronaviridae Infections><Coronavirus><Coronavirus Infections><Coronavirus disease 2019 predisposition><Coronavirus disease 2019 susceptibility><Coronavirus disease 2019 vulnerability><Country><Data><Dedications><Disease><Disease Outbreaks><Disorder><Ecologic Systems><Ecological Systems><Ecology><Ecosystem><Environment><Epidemic><Epidemiology><Event><Evolution><Exposure to><Future><Genetic><Geography><Goals><Health><Home Ranges><Human><Immunologic Factors><Immunological Factors><Individual><Infection><International><Investigators><Lead><Location><MERS corona virus><MERS coronavirus><MERS virus><MERS-CoV><Methods><Middle East><Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus><Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus><Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Virus><Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-CoV><Middle East Respiratory Virus><Middle East Respiratory coronavirus><Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Corona virus><Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus><Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Virus><Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome-CoV><Modeling><Modern Man><Molecular><Myanmar><Nature><Outbreaks><Pb element><Phylogenetic Analysis><Phylogenetics><Play><Population><Predisposed to COVID-19><Predisposed to SARS-CoV-2><Predisposed to Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><Predisposition><Prevention><Process><Public Health><Reproduction><Research Personnel><Researchers><Risk><Risk Assessment><Risk Factors><Role><SARS Virus><SARS corona virus><SARS corona virus 2><SARS coronavirus><SARS-Associated Coronavirus><SARS-CO-V2><SARS-COVID-2><SARS-CoV><SARS-CoV-1><SARS-CoV-2><SARS-CoV-2 predisposition><SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility><SARS-CoV-2 vulnerability><SARS-CoV2><SARS-Related Coronavirus><SARS-associated corona virus 2><SARS-associated coronavirus 2><SARS-coronavirus-2><SARS-related corona virus 2><SARS-related coronavirus 2><SARSCoV2><Sampling><Seasons><Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus><Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome CoV 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Corona Virus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoV 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Virus><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome corona virus><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-associated coronavirus 2><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-related coronavirus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome associated corona virus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 predisposition><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 susceptibility><Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 vulnerability><Severe acute respiratory syndrome related corona virus 2><Shapes><Site><Structure><Susceptibility><Taxon><Testing><Training><Transmission><Viral><Viral Diseases><Virus><Virus Diseases><Work><Wuhan coronavirus><Zoonoses><Zoonotic><Zoonotic Infection><bat-borne><batborne><career><communicable disease transmission><corona virus><corona virus emergence><coronavirus disease 2019 virus><coronavirus disease-19 virus><coronavirus emergence><cross-species spillover><cross-species transmission><data standardization><data standards><disease model><disease transmission><disorder model><emergent CoV><emergent corona virus><emergent coronavirus><emergent virus><emerging CoV><emerging corona virus><emerging coronavirus><emerging virus><epidemic concern><epidemic containment><epidemic control><epidemic mitigation><epidemic potential><epidemic response><epidemic risk><epidemic threat><epidemiologic><epidemiological><field based data><field learning><field study><field test><future pandemic><hCoV19><heavy metal Pb><heavy metal lead><host jump><host switching><immunologic substance><immunological substance><infectious disease transmission><insight><interspecies transmission><life history><man><nCoV><nCoV2><new CoV><new corona virus><new coronavirus><next pandemic><novel CoV><novel corona virus><novel coronavirus><pandemic concern><pandemic potential><pandemic risk><pandemic threat><predisposed to Coronavirus disease 2019><prospective><reproductive><severe acute respiratory syndrome-CoV><social role><south east asian><southeast Asian><surveillance data><susceptible to COVID-19><susceptible to Coronavirus disease 2019><susceptible to SARS-CoV-2><susceptible to Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2><trait><transmission across species><transmission between species><transmission process><transmitted across species><transmitted between species><transmitted cross-species><viral emergence><viral infection><virus infection><virus-induced disease><vulnerable to COVID-19><vulnerable to Coronavirus disease 2019><vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2><vulnerable to Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2>