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ABSTRACT: Background
Astroviruses (AstVs) are common pathogens of a wide range of animal hosts, including mammals and avians, causing gastrointestinal diseases, mainly gastroenteritis and diarrhea. They prompt a significant health problem in newborns and young children and economic losses in the poultry sector and mink farms. Recent studies revealed a growing number of bat species carrying astroviruses with a noticeable prevalence and diversity. Here, we demonstrate the first detection of bat astroviruses (BtAstVs) circulating in the population of insectivorous bats in the territory of Poland.Results
Genetically diverse BtAstVs (n = 18) were found with a varying degree of bat species specificity in five out of 15 bat species in Poland previously recognized as BtAstV hosts. Astroviral RNA was found in 12 out of 98 (12.2%, 95% CI 7.1-20.2) bat intestines, six bat kidneys (6.1%, 95% CI 2.8-12.7) and two bat livers (2.0%, 95% CI 0.4-7.1). Deep sequencing of the astroviral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) region revealed co-infections in five single bat individuals with highly distinct astrovirus strains.Conclusions
The detection of highly distinct bat astroviruses in Polish bats favors virus recombination and the generation of novel divergent AstVs and creates a potential risk of virus transmission to domestic animals and humans in the country. These findings provide a new insight into molecular epidemiology, prevalence of astroviruses in European bat populations and the risk of interspecies transmission to other animals including humans.
SUBMITTER: Orlowska A
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7911471 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Viruses 20210122 2
<h4>Background</h4>Astroviruses (AstVs) are common pathogens of a wide range of animal hosts, including mammals and avians, causing gastrointestinal diseases, mainly gastroenteritis and diarrhea. They prompt a significant health problem in newborns and young children and economic losses in the poultry sector and mink farms. Recent studies revealed a growing number of bat species carrying astroviruses with a noticeable prevalence and diversity. Here, we demonstrate the first detection of bat astr ...[more]