LAUSR

In our previous works, we have reported genetically diverse SARS-related coronaviruses (SARSr-CoV) in a single bat cave, Yunnan province, China, and suggested that some SARSr-CoVs may have high potential to infect humans without the necessity for an intermediate host. In this report, we developed a specific ELISA based on the nucleocapsid protein of a SARSr-CoV strain and detected its antibody in humans who are highly exposed to bat populations. From 218 human serum samples, 6 were positive against the nucleocapsid protein by ELISA and further confirmed by Western blot. For the first time, we demonstrated the SARSr-CoV had spillover to humans, although did not cause clinical diseases.