Epidemiological dynamics of coronaviruses in bat populations in Uganda

Emerging viruses from animals threaten global health, as demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bats are natural hosts of many viruses, including coronaviruses, yet much remains unknown about how these viruses persist and spread in bat populations, especially in countries like Uganda that are rich in bat diversity but underrepresented in surveillance studies.

This project, supported by the Medical and Life Sciences Research Fund will investigate how coronaviruses circulate in bats living in Uganda’s forests. By combining fieldwork, laboratory testing, and computer modelling, Betty Nalikka at the University of Warwick and in collaboration with Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda aims to understand which bat species carry coronaviruses and what factors may increase the risk of viruses spilling over into humans. Samples will be collected from bats, tested for active infection and past exposure, and this information will be used to build models that help predict virus transmission and persistence.

The outcomes of this project will benefit public health authorities by providing early data to support disease risk assessment and preparedness. The data will also be useful to researchers and policymakers involved in virus surveillance and conservation planning. Local forest authorities will gain updated information on bat species diversity, contributing to biodiversity records and forest management. Community members and forest guides engaged during the fieldwork may also develop greater interest in bat ecology and wildlife monitoring more broadly.