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Project

Characterizing the virus diversity in Belgian and European bats

Bats were already known to play an important role in the origin of viral epidemics, but they have regained international attention as important reservoirs of zoonotic viruses in the wake of the 2020 SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Recent research has shown that bats harbor a much larger virus diversity than hitherto assumed, but comparably to other parts of Europe, almost nothing is known about bat-borne viruses in the Belgian bat population. By employing a combination of traditional and novel RNA detection and sequencing techniques, we aim to gain insight into the identity and diversity of viruses harbored by Belgian bats. Studying the viruses bats harbor is an important first step in assessing the risk for future viral disease outbreaks, while it simultaneously provides valuable insight into the spread of bat-specific pathogens that might pose a risk to the already endangered bat population in Belgium.
Date:1 Oct 2021 →  30 Sep 2022
Keywords:Bats, virus discovery, zoonosis, bat-borne virus
Disciplines:Virology, Phylogeny and comparative analysis, Molecular evolution, Infectious diseases