Global patterns in coronavirus diversity

Anthony, Simon J.; Johnson, Christine K.; Greig, Denise J.; Kramer, Sarah; Che, Xiaoyu; Wells, Heather; Hicks, Allison L.; Joly, Damien O.; Wolfe, Nathan D.; Daszak, Peter; Karesh, William; Lipkin, W. I.; Morse, Stephen S.; Mazet, Jonna A. K.; Goldstein, Tracey

Finally, we offer a specific comment regarding the public health threat posed by bats. While it is tempting to conclude that bats harbor a large number of potentially zoonotic CoVs, most of the putative viruses detected in this study are unlikely to pose any threat to humans-either because they lack the biological pre-requisites to infect human cells or because the ecology of their hosts limits the opportunity for spillover. Studies such as this are intended to advance our understanding of the fundamental biology of viruses, not to create alarm or incite the retaliatory culling of bats. Indeed, such actions often have unanticipated consequences; and can even enhance disease transmission, as seen with rabies in vampire bats (Streicker et al. 2012; Blackwood et al. 2013) . Bats are important insectivores, pollinators and seed dispersers and we underscore both their vital ecosystem role and the need to consider any public health interventions carefully.