NEW DELHI: In a first-of-its-kind study in India that screened bat samples for coronaviruses, scientists have found that two species — Pteropus (Indian flying fox) and Rousettus (old world fruit bats ) — in four states of the country were carrying coronaviruses. The betacoronavirus found in bat samples, however, is different from Sars-Cov-2 that causes Covid-19, researchers have said.One of the species, Pteropus, has earlier been linked to the nipah virus in India.In the new research, bat samples that tested positive for coronaviruses were from Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry and Tamil Nadu.as conducted by scientists from the National Institute of Virology, Pune and the National Institute of Virology in Kerala and was published online by the Indian Journal of Medical Research, a medical journal published by the Indian Council of Medical Research ( ICMR ), on Monday.A senior ICMR scientist and co-author of the report, who did not wish to be identified, told TOI that this was the first Indian study to examine bat samples for coronavirus . “We wanted to better understand coronaviruses. We found two species were harbouring betacoronavirus but it was very different from Sars-Cov-2 that causes Covid-19.”For the study, researchers collected 586 swab samples from the two species of bats in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Odisha, Telangana, Chandigarh and Puducherry during 2018 and 2019 and conducted reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests to screen them for coronaviruses. At least 25 samples from four states tested positive for presence of coronaviruses.The researchers are now calling for active surveillance of zoonotic infections (those that can transmit to humans) in bats so “emerging viruses with epidemic potential can be contained”.“Detection of potentially pathogenic coronaviruses (CoVs) in Indian bats stresses the need for enhanced screening for novel viruses in them,” the researchers said while recommending antibody surveys (human and domestic animals) in localities where the viruses have been detected.“In India, regions of the Western Ghats, particularly in Kerala, are reported to have habitat for diverse bat populations. The reports of pathogenic human viruses from bat specimens demand enhanced methods to monitor human exposure to various bat species,” the researchers noted.“Investigations in unexplored regions and states should be focused on gaining further insights into coronavirus (CoV) diversity within Indian bat populations,” the researchers said.The study authors also said there was a need to develop strong mechanisms for working jointly with various stakeholders such as wildlife, poultry, animal husbandry and human health departments.