A systematic review on current approaches in bat virus discovered between 2018 and 2022

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Zoonotic Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Zoonotic viruses pose a significant pandemic threat, with bats being a major reservoir for diverse viruses.
• Over 1400 bat species inhabit most global habitats, increasing potential for zoonotic spillover.
• Understanding bat viruses is crucial for public health and pandemic preparedness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and catalogue novel bat virus discoveries published between 2018 and 2022.
• To analyze methodologies, bat species, and virus characteristics reported in recent bat virus research.
• To provide a comprehensive overview of global efforts in identifying and characterizing emerging bat viruses.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search of PubMed, SCOPUS, and Web of Science databases.
• Data extraction from 41 publications on experimental parameters, sampling, bat species, and virus genomics.
• Analysis of novel virus discoveries, families, and identification strategies.

Main Results:

• 72 novel viruses from 19 virus families were identified in bats from 2018-2022.
• Genomoviridae (DNA viruses) and Coronaviridae (RNA viruses) were notably identified.
• Despite advancements in next-generation sequencing and metagenomics, research focused on a limited number of bat families.

Conclusions:

• Significant progress has been made in discovering novel bat viruses, underscoring bats as critical reservoirs.
• Continued global surveillance and research are essential for early detection and mitigation of zoonotic threats.
• Advancements in sequencing technologies are improving virus identification, but broader bat species sampling is needed.