2026/04/23 by Océane Rieu, Stéphane Descorps‐Declère, Anaïs Dufau +9 · 1 voice
Medicine · Agricultural and Biological Sciences · #Viral Infections and Immunology Research #Animal Virus Infections Studies #Cytomegalovirus and herpesvirus research
paper · doi:10.1080/22221751.2026.2651469
openalex publication_date 2026/04/23 · openalex created_date 2026/04/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
A novel Merbecovirus, designated Cam-2023, has been identified in Pipistrellus pipistrellus in France through non-invasive surveillance. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrates that Cam-2023 belongs to a Merbecovirus clade previously associated with ACE2 usage in closely related viruses detected in the Netherlands and Russia. While the receptor usage of Cam-2023 remains to be functionally validated, sequence similarities within the Spike protein, particularly the receptor-binding domain, suggest a putative association with a Merbecovirus clade previously associated with ACE2 usage. This discovery broadens the known host diversity of this lineage and extends its geographical range to Western Europe. Our findings highlight the importance of continuous surveillance in European bat populations to better characterize the distribution and zoonotic potential of such high-risk coronaviruses.