The burden of emerging infectious diseases has significantly increased over the last decades and is recognized as a major global health concern. Future studies should investigate whether CoVs detected in these bats have a potential for spillover in other hosts. These results highlight that strong variation between islands does exist and is associated with the composition of the bat species community on each island. Phylogenetic analyses revealed a large diversity of α- and β-CoVs and a strong signal of co-evolution between CoVs and their bat host species, with limited evidence for host-switching, except for bat species sharing day roost sites. In total, 88 bats (8.7%) tested positive for coronaviruses, with higher prevalence in Mozambican bats (20.5% ± 4.9%) as compared to those sampled on islands (4.5% ± 1.5%).

In this study, we tested 1,013 bats belonging to 36 species from Mozambique, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Reunion Island and Seychelles, based on molecular screening and partial sequencing of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene. The islands of the Western Indian Ocean are identified as a major biodiversity hotspot, with more than 50 bat species. Bats are also major hosts for biological agents responsible for zoonoses, such as coronaviruses (CoVs). Bats provide key ecosystem services such as crop pest regulation, pollination, seed dispersal, and soil fertilization.

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