Widespread SARS-CoV-2 infection in free-ranging Neotropical bats suggests repeated human-to-bat spillback
Jorge I. Armijos Rivera, Gabriela Parra, Marlon Bravo-Bonilla, María Gonzalez-Maldonado, Daniela Alejandra Román-Cáceres, Adamary Vásquez-Tituana, Jessica Valdivieso, Freddy Eliazar Tinoco Tinoco, Alicia Villavicencio, Nikolay Aguirre, Rodrigo Cisneros, Victor Romero, Jimmy Garcés, Doménica de Mora, Alfredo Bruno, , Emmanuele Crespan
The paper detects SARS-CoV-2 in wild Neotropical bats, showing repeated human-to-bat spillback rather than sustained bat-specific circulation.
bioRxiv · Sep 1, 2026 · PreprintMicrobiology