Serological evidence of MERS-CoV and HKU8-related CoV co-infection in Kenyan camels

Dromedary camels are important reservoir hosts of various coronaviruses, including Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) that cause human infections. CoV genomes regularly undergo recombination during infection as observed in bat SARS-related CoVs. Here we report for the first time...

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Main Authors: Wei Zhang, Xiao-Shuang Zheng, Bernard Agwanda, Sheila Ommeh, Kai Zhao, Jacqueline Lichoti, Ning Wang, Jing Chen, Bei Li, Xing-Lou Yang, Shailendra Mani, Kisa-Juma Ngeiywa, Yan Zhu, Ben Hu, Samson Omondi Onyuok, Bing Yan, Danielle E. Anderson, Lin-Fa Wang, Peng Zhou, Zheng-Li Shi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2019-01-01
Series:Emerging Microbes and Infections
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22221751.2019.1679610
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author Wei Zhang
Xiao-Shuang Zheng
Bernard Agwanda
Sheila Ommeh
Kai Zhao
Jacqueline Lichoti
Ning Wang
Jing Chen
Bei Li
Xing-Lou Yang
Shailendra Mani
Kisa-Juma Ngeiywa
Yan Zhu
Ben Hu
Samson Omondi Onyuok
Bing Yan
Danielle E. Anderson
Lin-Fa Wang
Peng Zhou
Zheng-Li Shi
author_facet Wei Zhang
Xiao-Shuang Zheng
Bernard Agwanda
Sheila Ommeh
Kai Zhao
Jacqueline Lichoti
Ning Wang
Jing Chen
Bei Li
Xing-Lou Yang
Shailendra Mani
Kisa-Juma Ngeiywa
Yan Zhu
Ben Hu
Samson Omondi Onyuok
Bing Yan
Danielle E. Anderson
Lin-Fa Wang
Peng Zhou
Zheng-Li Shi
author_sort Wei Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Dromedary camels are important reservoir hosts of various coronaviruses, including Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) that cause human infections. CoV genomes regularly undergo recombination during infection as observed in bat SARS-related CoVs. Here we report for the first time that only a small proportion of MERS-CoV receptor-binding domain positive (RBD) of spike protein positive camel sera in Kenya were also seropositive to MERS-CoV nucleocapsid (NP). In contrast, many of them contain antibodies against bat HKU8-related (HKU8r)-CoVs. Among 584 camel samples that were positive against MERS-CoV RBD, we found only 0.48 (8.22%) samples were also positive for NP. Furthermore, we found bat HKU8r-CoV NP antibody in 73 (12.5%) of the MERS-CoV RBD positive and NP negative samples, yet found only 3 (0.43%) of the HKU8r-CoV S1 antibody in the same samples. These findings may indicate co-infection with MERS-CoV and a HKU8r-CoV in camels. It may also raise the possibility of the circulation of a recombinant coronavirus virus with the spike of MERS-CoV and the NP of a HKU8r-CoV in Kenya. We failed to find molecular evidence of an HKU8r-CoV or a putative recombinant virus. Our findings should alert other investigators to look for molecular evidence of HKU8r-CoV or recombinants.
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spelling doaj-art-87c476d018ef40f58db3a5f7d63c5c9c2025-08-20T02:26:09ZengTaylor & Francis GroupEmerging Microbes and Infections2222-17512019-01-01811528153410.1080/22221751.2019.1679610Serological evidence of MERS-CoV and HKU8-related CoV co-infection in Kenyan camelsWei Zhang0Xiao-Shuang Zheng1Bernard Agwanda2Sheila Ommeh3Kai Zhao4Jacqueline Lichoti5Ning Wang6Jing Chen7Bei Li8Xing-Lou Yang9Shailendra Mani10Kisa-Juma Ngeiywa11Yan Zhu12Ben Hu13Samson Omondi Onyuok14Bing Yan15Danielle E. Anderson16Lin-Fa Wang17Peng Zhou18Zheng-Li Shi19CAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of ChinaDepartment of Zoology, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, KenyaInstitute for Biotechnology Research, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Nairobi, KenyaCAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of ChinaDirectorate of Veterinary Services, State Department of Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, KenyaCAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of ChinaProgramme in Emerging Infectious Diseases Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, SingaporeDirectorate of Veterinary Services, State Department of Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, KenyaCAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of ChinaProgramme in Emerging Infectious Diseases Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, SingaporeProgramme in Emerging Infectious Diseases Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, SingaporeCAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Special Pathogens, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of ChinaDromedary camels are important reservoir hosts of various coronaviruses, including Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) that cause human infections. CoV genomes regularly undergo recombination during infection as observed in bat SARS-related CoVs. Here we report for the first time that only a small proportion of MERS-CoV receptor-binding domain positive (RBD) of spike protein positive camel sera in Kenya were also seropositive to MERS-CoV nucleocapsid (NP). In contrast, many of them contain antibodies against bat HKU8-related (HKU8r)-CoVs. Among 584 camel samples that were positive against MERS-CoV RBD, we found only 0.48 (8.22%) samples were also positive for NP. Furthermore, we found bat HKU8r-CoV NP antibody in 73 (12.5%) of the MERS-CoV RBD positive and NP negative samples, yet found only 3 (0.43%) of the HKU8r-CoV S1 antibody in the same samples. These findings may indicate co-infection with MERS-CoV and a HKU8r-CoV in camels. It may also raise the possibility of the circulation of a recombinant coronavirus virus with the spike of MERS-CoV and the NP of a HKU8r-CoV in Kenya. We failed to find molecular evidence of an HKU8r-CoV or a putative recombinant virus. Our findings should alert other investigators to look for molecular evidence of HKU8r-CoV or recombinants.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22221751.2019.1679610MERScoronavirusbatcamelHKU8
spellingShingle Wei Zhang
Xiao-Shuang Zheng
Bernard Agwanda
Sheila Ommeh
Kai Zhao
Jacqueline Lichoti
Ning Wang
Jing Chen
Bei Li
Xing-Lou Yang
Shailendra Mani
Kisa-Juma Ngeiywa
Yan Zhu
Ben Hu
Samson Omondi Onyuok
Bing Yan
Danielle E. Anderson
Lin-Fa Wang
Peng Zhou
Zheng-Li Shi
Serological evidence of MERS-CoV and HKU8-related CoV co-infection in Kenyan camels
Emerging Microbes and Infections
MERS
coronavirus
bat
camel
HKU8
title Serological evidence of MERS-CoV and HKU8-related CoV co-infection in Kenyan camels
title_full Serological evidence of MERS-CoV and HKU8-related CoV co-infection in Kenyan camels
title_fullStr Serological evidence of MERS-CoV and HKU8-related CoV co-infection in Kenyan camels
title_full_unstemmed Serological evidence of MERS-CoV and HKU8-related CoV co-infection in Kenyan camels
title_short Serological evidence of MERS-CoV and HKU8-related CoV co-infection in Kenyan camels
title_sort serological evidence of mers cov and hku8 related cov co infection in kenyan camels
topic MERS
coronavirus
bat
camel
HKU8
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22221751.2019.1679610
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