Publications by authors named "Ko Mineshita"
Detection and genetic characterization of bat MERS-related coronaviruses in Japan.
Transbound Emerg Dis
November 2022
Article Synopsis
- Betacoronaviruses, including SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, have caused significant human outbreaks, with SARS-CoV-2 leading to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The study identified new bat merbecoviruses in two bat species in Japan that are closely related to those found in China.
- These Japanese merbecoviruses lack key mutations needed to infect humans, highlighting the importance of ongoing research on bat coronaviruses for understanding potential risks to human health.
Several recent studies have reported that various bat species harbor bat hepatitis E viruses (BatHEV) belonging to the family Hepeviridae, which also contains human hepatitis E virus (HEV). The distribution and ecology of BatHEV are not well known. Here, we collected and screened 81 bat fecal samples from nine bat species in Japan to detect BatHEV RNA by RT-PCR using HEV-specific primers, and detected three positive samples.
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