Research conducted by the University of Colombo and the Robert Coch Institute in Germany has identified the presence of alpha and beta corona viruses in the feces of Sri Lankan bats.
Tejani Perera, a PhD student at the University of Colombo, is leading the research. She states that PCR samples were taken from 395 bats. Tests have identified 33 samples of the virus.
She started this study in 2017. Alpha and beta corona viruses have been identified in two species of bats in Sri Lanka, she said. She added that it has not yet been confirmed that the virus is being transmitted by bats to humans in Sri Lanka.
