Overview
- Researchers detected the virus, named BRZ batCoV, in a Pteronotus parnellii bat from field samples collected in Brazil in 2019.
- Genetic analysis shows a furin cleavage site in the spike protein that differs from SARS‑CoV‑2’s by one amino acid, a motif known to enhance cell entry in some coronaviruses.
- The finding expands the known range of related MERS‑like betacoronaviruses to the Western Hemisphere for the first time.
- Only one bat tested positive out of 70 captured across seven species at sites in Maranhão and São Paulo, highlighting limited sampling and uncertainty.
- The study, posted Oct 27 on bioRxiv and led by scientists at Osaka University with partners in Brazil and the US, is awaiting peer review and underscores the need for broader wildlife surveillance.