Project description:Hantaviruses are emerging RNA viruses that cause human diseases predominantly in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Besides rodents, insectivores and bats serve as hantavirus reservoirs. We report the detection and genome characterization of a novel bat-borne hantavirus isolated from insectivorous common noctule bat. The newfound virus was tentatively named as Brno virus.
Project description:Paramyxoviruses are a group of RNA viruses, such as mumps virus, measles virus, Nipah virus, Hendra virus, Newcastle disease virus, and parainfluenza virus, usually transmitted by airborne droplets that are predominantly responsible for acute respiratory diseases. In this paper, we identified a novel paramyxovirus belonging to genus Jeilongvirus infecting 4/112 (3.6%) bats from two trapping sites of Hainan Province of China. In these animals, the viral RNA was detected exclusively in kidney tissues. This is the first full-length Jeilongvirus genome (18,095 nucleotides) from bats of genus Hipposideros, which exhibits a canonical genome organization and encodes SH and TM proteins. Results, based on phylogenic analysis and genetic distances, indicate that the novel paramyxovirus formed an independent lineage belonging to genus Jeilongvirus, representing, thus, a novel species. In addition, the virus-host macro-evolutionary analysis revealed that host-switching was not only a common co-phylogenetic event, but also a potential mechanism by which rats are infected by bat-origin Jeilongvirus through cross-species virus transmission, indicating a bat origin of the genus Jeilongvirus. Overall, our study broadens the viral diversity, geographical distribution, host range, and evolution of genus Jeilongvirus.
Project description:Sequence analysis of the full-length medium segment and the partial small and large segments of a hantavirus, detected by reverse transcription-PCR in lung tissues of the Chinese mole shrew (Anourosorex squamipes) captured in Cao Bang Province, Vietnam, in December 2006, indicated that it is genetically distinct from rodentborne hantaviruses.
Project description:Bats are important reservoirs and vectors in the transmission of emerging infectious diseases. Many highly pathogenic viruses such as SARS-CoV and rabies-related lyssaviruses have crossed species barriers to infect humans and other animals. In this study we monitored the major roost sites of bats in Singapore, and performed surveillance for zoonotic pathogens in these bats. Screening of guano samples collected during the survey uncovered a bat coronavirus (Betacoronavirus) in Cynopterus brachyotis, commonly known as the lesser dog-faced fruit bat. Using a capture-enrichment sequencing platform, the full-length genome of the bat CoV was sequenced and found to be closely related to the bat coronavirus HKU9 species found in Leschenault's rousette discovered in the Guangdong and Yunnan provinces.
Project description:The complete genome sequence of Muju virus was determined from lung tissue samples of three royal voles (Myodes regulus) captured in Gangwon province in the Republic of Korea. Since few whole genome sequences of hantaviruses are available, this sequence may help to clarify the molecular phylogeny of arvicolid rodent-borne hantaviruses.
Project description:BackgroundHantaviral antigens were originally reported more than 20 years ago in tissues of the Eurasian common shrew (Sorex araneus), captured in European and Siberian Russia. The recent discovery of Seewis virus (SWSV) in this soricid species in Switzerland provided an opportunity to investigate its genetic diversity and geographic distribution in Russia.MethodsLung tissues from 45 Eurasian common shrews, 4 Laxmann's shrews (Sorex caecutiens), 3 Siberian large-toothed shrews (Sorex daphaenodon), 9 pygmy shrews (Sorex minutus), 28 tundra shrews (Sorex tundrensis), and 6 Siberian shrews (Crocidura sibirica), captured in 11 localities in Western and Eastern Siberia during June 2007 to September 2008, were analyzed for hantavirus RNA by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.ResultsHantavirus L and S segment sequences, detected in 11 S. araneus, 2 S. tundrensis, and 2 S. daphaenodon, were closely related to SWSV, differing from the prototype mp70 strain by 16.3-20.2% at the nucleotide level and 1.4-1.7% at the amino acid level. Alignment and comparison of nucleotide and amino acid sequences showed an intrastrain difference of 0-11.0% and 0% for the L segment and 0.2-8.5% and 0% for the S segment, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis, using neighbor-joining, maximum-likelihood, and Bayesian methods, showed geographic-specific clustering of SWSV strains in Western and Eastern Siberia.ConclusionsThis is the first definitive report of shrew-borne hantaviruses in Siberia, and demonstrates the impressive distribution of SWSV among phylogenetically related Sorex species. Coevolution and local adaptation of SWSV genetic variants in specific chromosomal races of S. araneus may account for their geographic distribution.
Project description:Environmental modifications are leading to biodiversity changes, loss and habitat disturbance. This in turn increases contacts between wildlife and hence the risk of transmission and emergence of zoonotic diseases. We analyzed the environment and land use using remote spatial data around the sampling locations of bats positive for coronavirus (21 sites) and astrovirus (11 sites) collected in 43 sites. A clear association between viruses and hosts was observed. Viruses associated to synanthropic bat genera, such as Myotis or Scotophilus were associated to highly transformed habitats with human presence while viruses associated to fruit bat genera were correlated with natural environments with dense forest, grassland areas and regions of high elevation. In particular, group C betacoronavirus were associated with mosaic habitats found in anthropized environments.
Project description:Herpesviruses exist in nature within each host animal. Ten herpesviruses have been isolated from bats and their biological properties reported. A novel bat alphaherpesvirus, which we propose to name "Pteropus lylei-associated alphaherpesvirus (PLAHV)," was isolated from urine of the fruit bat Pteropus lylei in Vietnam and characterized. The entire genome sequence was determined to be 144,008 bp in length and predicted to include 72 genes. PLAHV was assigned to genus Simplexvirus with other bat alphaherpesviruses isolated from pteropodid bats in Southeast Asia and Africa. The replication capacity of PLAHV in several cells was evaluated in comparison with that of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). PLAHV replicated better in the bat-originated cell line and less in human embryonic lung fibroblasts than HSV-1 did. PLAHV was serologically related to another bat alphaherpesvirus, Pteropodid alphaherpesvirus 1 (PtAHV1), isolated from a Pteropus hypomelanus-related bat captured in Indonesia, but not with HSV-1. PLAHV caused lethal infection in mice. PLAHV was as susceptible to acyclovir as HSV-1 was. Characterization of this new member of bat alphaherpesviruses, PLAHV, expands the knowledge on bat-associated alphaherpesvirology.IMPORTANCE A novel bat alphaherpesvirus, Pteropus lylei-associated alphaherpesvirus (PLAHV), was isolated from urine of the fruit bat Pteropus lylei in Vietnam. The whole-genome sequence was determined and was predicted to include 72 open reading frames in the 144,008-bp genome. PLAHV is circulating in a species of fruit bats, Pteropus lylei, in Asia. This study expands the knowledge on bat-associated alphaherpesvirology.