
NIH Study Shows How MERS Coronavirus Evolves to Infect Different Species [2018] - georgecmu
https://www.niaid.nih.gov/news-events/nih-study-shows-how-mers-coronavirus-evolves-infect-different-species
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georgecmu
Link to the full article: [https://www.cell.com/cell-
reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(18)311...](https://www.cell.com/cell-
reports/fulltext/S2211-1247\(18\)31148-3)

Key takeaway from the abstract:

 _To evaluate how MERS-CoV evolves to infect host cells, the scientists tested
16 bat species and found that the virus could not efficiently enter cells with
receptors from the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus. They then grew virus
on cells that had vampire bat receptors and observed the virus evolving to
better infect the cells. After a few generations, the virus had completely
adapted to the vampire bat receptor._

