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Aguilar-Setién A, Salas-Rojas M, Gálvez-Romero G, Almazán-Marín C, Moreira-Soto A, Alfonso-Toledo J, Obregón-Morales C, García-Flores M, García-Baltazar A, Serra-Cobo J, López-Roig M, Reyes-Puma N, Piche-Ovares M, Romero-Vega M, Barrantes Murillo DF, Soto-Garita C, Alfaro-Alarcón A, Corrales-Aguilar E, López-Díaz O, Pontier D, Filippi-Codaccioni O, Pons JB, Duhayer J, Drexler JF. Experimental infection of Artibeus lituratus bats and no detection of Zika virus in neotropical bats from French Guiana, Peru, and Costa Rica suggests a limited role of bats in Zika transmission. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0010439. [PMID: 37486923 PMCID: PMC10399830 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Bats are important natural reservoir hosts of a diverse range of viruses that can be transmitted to humans and have been suggested to play an important role in the Zika virus (ZIKV) transmission cycle. However, the exact role of these animals as reservoirs for flaviviruses is still controversial. To further expand our understanding of the role of bats in the ZIKV transmission cycle in Latin America, we carried out an experimental infection in wild-caught Artibeus lituratus bats and sampled several free-living neotropical bats across three countries of the region. Experimental ZIKV infection was performed in wild-caught adult bats (4 females and 5 males). The most relevant findings were hemorrhages in the bladder, stomach and patagium. Significant histological findings included inflammatory infiltrate consisting of a predominance of neutrophils and lymphocytes, in addition to degeneration in the reproductive tract of males and females. This suggests that bat reproduction might be at some level affected by ZIKV. Leukopenia was also observed in some inoculated animals. Hemorrhages, genital alterations, and leukopenia are suggested to be caused by ZIKV; however, since these were wild-caught bats, we cannot exclude other agents. Detection of ZIKV by qPCR was observed at low concentrations in only two urine samples in two inoculated animals. All other animals and tissues tested were negative. Finally, no virus-neutralizing antibodies were found in any animal. To determine ZIKV infection in nature, the blood of a total of 2056 bats was sampled for ZIKV detection by qPCR. Most of the sampled individuals belonged to the genus Pteronotus sp. (23%), followed by the species Carollia sp. (17%), Anoura sp. (14%), and Molossus sp. (13.7%). No sample of any tested species was positive for ZIKV by qPCR. These results together suggest that bats are not efficient amplifiers or reservoirs of ZIKV and may not have an important role in ZIKV transmission dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Aguilar-Setién
- Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Coordinación de Investigación Médica, Unidad de Investigación en Inmunología. Hospital de Pediatría, Mexico City , México
| | - Mónica Salas-Rojas
- Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Coordinación de Investigación Médica, Unidad de Investigación en Inmunología. Hospital de Pediatría, Mexico City , México
| | - Guillermo Gálvez-Romero
- Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Coordinación de Investigación Médica, Unidad de Investigación en Inmunología. Hospital de Pediatría, Mexico City , México
| | - Cenia Almazán-Marín
- Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Coordinación de Investigación Médica, Unidad de Investigación en Inmunología. Hospital de Pediatría, Mexico City , México
| | - Andrés Moreira-Soto
- Institute of Virology, Charité -Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jorge Alfonso-Toledo
- Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Coordinación de Investigación Médica, Unidad de Investigación en Inmunología. Hospital de Pediatría, Mexico City , México
| | - Cirani Obregón-Morales
- Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Coordinación de Investigación Médica, Unidad de Investigación en Inmunología. Hospital de Pediatría, Mexico City , México
| | - Martha García-Flores
- Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Coordinación de Investigación Médica, Unidad de Investigación en Inmunología. Hospital de Pediatría, Mexico City , México
| | - Anahí García-Baltazar
- Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Coordinación de Investigación Médica, Unidad de Investigación en Inmunología. Hospital de Pediatría, Mexico City , México
| | - Jordi Serra-Cobo
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO). Facultat de Biolia. Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marc López-Roig
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Recerca de la Biodiversitat (IRBIO). Facultat de Biolia. Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Nora Reyes-Puma
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical "Daniel Alcides Carrión" Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru
| | - Marta Piche-Ovares
- Virology-CIET (Research Center for Tropical Disease), University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Department of Virology, School of Veterinary Medicine, National University, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Mario Romero-Vega
- Virology-CIET (Research Center for Tropical Disease), University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | | | - Claudio Soto-Garita
- Virology-CIET (Research Center for Tropical Disease), University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Alejandro Alfaro-Alarcón
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, National University, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Eugenia Corrales-Aguilar
- Virology-CIET (Research Center for Tropical Disease), University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Osvaldo López-Díaz
- Departamento de Producción Agrícola y Animal, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Unidad Xochimilco, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Dominique Pontier
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Ondine Filippi-Codaccioni
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste Pons
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jeanne Duhayer
- Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR5558, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Jan Felix Drexler
- Institute of Virology, Charité -Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Berlin, Germany
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2
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Different but Not Unique: Deciphering the Immunity of the Jamaican Fruit Bat by Studying Its Viriome. Viruses 2022; 14:v14020238. [PMID: 35215832 PMCID: PMC8879847 DOI: 10.3390/v14020238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A specialized and fine-tuned immune response of bats upon infection with viruses is believed to provide the basis for a “friendly” coexistence with these pathogens, which are often lethal for humans and other mammals. First insights into the immunity of bats suggest that bats have evolved to possess their own strategies to cope with viral infections. Yet, the molecular details for this innocuous coexistence remain poorly described and bat infection models are the key to unveiling these secrets. In Jamaican fruit bats (Artibeus jamaicensis), a New World bat species, infection experiments with its (putative) natural viral pathogens Tacaribe virus (TCRV), rabies virus (RABV), and the bat influenza A virus (IAV) H18N11, have contributed to an accurate, though still incomplete, representation of the bat-imposed immunity. Surprisingly, though many aspects of their innate and adaptive immune responses differ from that of the human immune response, such as a contraction of the IFN locus and reduction in the number of immunoglobulin subclasses, variations could also be observed between Jamaican fruit bats and other bat species.
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Carvalho VS, Rissino JD, Nagamachi CY, Pieczarka JC, Noronha RCR. Isolation and establishment of skin-derived and mesenchymal cells from south American bat Artibeus planirostris (Chiroptera - Phyllostomidae). Tissue Cell 2021; 71:101507. [PMID: 33592503 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2021.101507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Animal models represent a crucial tool for biological research, so the establishment of new cultures is fundamental for the discovery of new therapies and the understanding of mechanisms of cell development in the most diverse animals. Here, we report the successful establishment of two new primary cell cultures derived from a South American bat (Artibeus planirostris). The establishment of a new bat culture can help in the investigation of new zoonoses since bats have been proposed as carriers of these diseases. We evaluated the chromosomal stability of cells from different passages. Primary cultures were collected from ear tissues and bone marrow of A. planirostris. Cultures were expanded, and osteogenic and adipogenic inductions were conducted for 21 days. For osteogenic differentiation, the medium was supplemented with 0.1 μM dexamethasone, 3 mM β-glycerophosphate, and 10 μM L-ascorbic acid 2-phosphate. For adipogenic differentiation, the medium was supplemented with 5 μM rosiglitazone, 0.4 μM insulin, 0.1 mM indomethacin, and 0.1 μM dexamethasone. After the induction period, the cells were stained with Alizarin Red to assess osteogenic differentiation and Oil Red O to assess adipogenic differentiation. We observed the appearance of lipid droplets in adipocytes and the extracellular deposition of calcium matrix by osteocytes, indicating that bone marrow-derived cells and skin-derived cells of A. planirostris could successfully differentiate into these lineages. Also, the number of chromosomes remained stable for both primary cultures during passages 2, 4, 6, and 8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vinícius S Carvalho
- Laboratório De Citogenética, Centro De Estudos Avançados Em Biodiversidade, Instituto De Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal Do Pará, Campus Guamá, Rua Augusto Corrêa, nº 01, Guamá, CEP 66075-900, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Jorge D Rissino
- Laboratório De Citogenética, Centro De Estudos Avançados Em Biodiversidade, Instituto De Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal Do Pará, Campus Guamá, Rua Augusto Corrêa, nº 01, Guamá, CEP 66075-900, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Cleusa Y Nagamachi
- Laboratório De Citogenética, Centro De Estudos Avançados Em Biodiversidade, Instituto De Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal Do Pará, Campus Guamá, Rua Augusto Corrêa, nº 01, Guamá, CEP 66075-900, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Julio C Pieczarka
- Laboratório De Citogenética, Centro De Estudos Avançados Em Biodiversidade, Instituto De Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal Do Pará, Campus Guamá, Rua Augusto Corrêa, nº 01, Guamá, CEP 66075-900, Belém, Pará, Brazil
| | - Renata C R Noronha
- Laboratório De Citogenética, Centro De Estudos Avançados Em Biodiversidade, Instituto De Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal Do Pará, Campus Guamá, Rua Augusto Corrêa, nº 01, Guamá, CEP 66075-900, Belém, Pará, Brazil.
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Irving AT, Rozario P, Kong PS, Luko K, Gorman JJ, Hastie ML, Chia WN, Mani S, Lee BPH, Smith GJD, Mendenhall IH, Larman HB, Elledge SJ, Wang LF. Robust dengue virus infection in bat cells and limited innate immune responses coupled with positive serology from bats in IndoMalaya and Australasia. Cell Mol Life Sci 2020; 77:1607-1622. [PMID: 31352533 PMCID: PMC11104837 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03242-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Natural reservoir hosts can sustain infection of pathogens without succumbing to overt disease. Multiple bat species host a plethora of viruses, pathogenic to other mammals, without clinical symptoms. Here, we detail infection of bat primary cells, immune cells, and cell lines with Dengue virus. While antibodies and viral RNA were previously detected in wild bats, their ability to sustain infection is not conclusive. Old-world fruitbat cells can be infected, producing high titres of virus with limited cellular responses. In addition, there is minimal interferon (IFN) response in cells infected with MOIs leading to dengue production. The ability to support in vitro replication/production raises the possibility of bats as a transient host in the life cycle of dengue or similar flaviviruses. New antibody serology evidence from Asia/Pacific highlights the previous exposure and raises awareness that bats may be involved in flavivirus dynamics and infection of other hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jeffrey J Gorman
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Marcus L Hastie
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Wan Ni Chia
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Stephen J Elledge
- Harvard University Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Lin-Fa Wang
- Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.
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Bittar C, Machado RRG, Comelis MT, Bueno LM, Morielle-Versute E, Beguelini MR, de Souza RP, Nogueira ML, Rahal P. Lack of serological and molecular evidence of arbovirus infections in bats from Brazil. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0207010. [PMID: 30403749 PMCID: PMC6221338 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0207010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Viruses are important agents of emerging zoonoses and are a substantial public health issue. Among emerging viruses, an important group are arboviruses, which are characterized by being maintained in nature in cycles involving hematophagous arthropod vectors and a wide range of vertebrate hosts. Recently, bats have received increasing attention as an important source for the emergence of zoonoses and as possible viral reservoirs. Among the arboviruses, there are many representatives of the genera Flavivirus and Alphavirus, which are responsible for important epidemics such as Dengue virus, Zika virus and Chikungunya virus. Due to the importance of analyzing potential viral reservoirs for zoonosis control and expanding our knowledge of bat viruses, this study aimed to investigate the presence of viruses of the Alphavirus and Flavivirus genera in bats. We analyzed serum, liver, lungs and intestine from 103 bats sampled in northeast and southern Brazil via Nested-PCR and the hemagglutination inhibition test. All samples tested in this study were negative for arboviruses, suggesting that no active or past infection was present in the captured bats. These data indicate that the bats examined herein probably do not constitute a reservoir for these viruses in the studied areas. Further studies are needed to clarify the role of bats as reservoirs and sources of infection of these viral zoonoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cíntia Bittar
- Laboratório de Estudos Genômicos, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, UNESP—Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rafael R. G. Machado
- Laboratório de Estudos Genômicos, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, UNESP—Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Manuela T. Comelis
- Laboratório de Chiroptera, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Larissa M. Bueno
- Laboratório de Chiroptera, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Eliana Morielle-Versute
- Laboratório de Chiroptera, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Matheus R. Beguelini
- Laboratório de Chiroptera, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
- Centro das Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, UFOB—Universidade Federal do Oeste da Bahia, Barreiras, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Renato P. de Souza
- Núcleo de Doenças de Transmissão Vetorial, Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maurício L. Nogueira
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Virologia, FAMERP-Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paula Rahal
- Laboratório de Estudos Genômicos, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, UNESP—Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
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Banerjee A, Misra V, Schountz T, Baker ML. Tools to study pathogen-host interactions in bats. Virus Res 2018; 248:5-12. [PMID: 29454637 PMCID: PMC7114677 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2018.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2017] [Revised: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Bats are important reservoir hosts for emerging zoonotic viruses. Viruses detected in bats are difficult to isolate using traditional cell lines. Bat cell lines provide critical tools to dissect host pathogen interactions. Little is known about immune cell populations and their responses in bats. Sharing reagents and cell lines will accelerate research and virus discovery.
Bats are natural reservoirs for a variety of emerging viruses that cause significant disease in humans and domestic animals yet rarely cause clinical disease in bats. The co-evolutionary history of bats with viruses has been hypothesized to have shaped the bat-virus relationship, allowing both to exist in equilibrium. Progress in understanding bat-virus interactions and the isolation of bat-borne viruses has been accelerated in recent years by the development of susceptible bat cell lines. Viral sequences similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus (SARS-CoV) have been detected in bats, and filoviruses such as Marburg virus have been isolated from bats, providing definitive evidence for the role of bats as the natural host reservoir. Although viruses can be readily detected in bats using molecular approaches, virus isolation is far more challenging. One of the limitations in using traditional culture systems from non-reservoir species is that cell types and culture conditions may not be compatible for isolation of bat-borne viruses. There is, therefore, a need to develop additional bat cell lines that correspond to different cell types, including less represented cell types such as immune cells, and culture them under more physiologically relevant conditions to study virus host interactions and for virus isolation. In this review, we highlight the current progress in understanding bat-virus interactions in bat cell line systems and some of the challenges and limitations associated with cell lines. Future directions to address some of these challenges to better understand host-pathogen interactions in these intriguing mammals are also discussed, not only in relation to viruses but also other pathogens carried by bats including bacteria and fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arinjay Banerjee
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Vikram Misra
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Tony Schountz
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA
| | - Michelle L Baker
- CSIRO, Health and Biosecurity Business Unit, Australian Animal Health Laboratory, Geelong, Australia.
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Kuno G, Mackenzie JS, Junglen S, Hubálek Z, Plyusnin A, Gubler DJ. Vertebrate Reservoirs of Arboviruses: Myth, Synonym of Amplifier, or Reality? Viruses 2017; 9:E185. [PMID: 28703771 PMCID: PMC5537677 DOI: 10.3390/v9070185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2017] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The rapid succession of the pandemic of arbovirus diseases, such as dengue, West Nile fever, chikungunya, and Zika fever, has intensified research on these and other arbovirus diseases worldwide. Investigating the unique mode of vector-borne transmission requires a clear understanding of the roles of vertebrates. One major obstacle to this understanding is the ambiguity of the arbovirus definition originally established by the World Health Organization. The paucity of pertinent information on arbovirus transmission at the time contributed to the notion that vertebrates played the role of reservoir in the arbovirus transmission cycle. Because this notion is a salient feature of the arbovirus definition, it is important to reexamine its validity. This review addresses controversial issues concerning vertebrate reservoirs and their role in arbovirus persistence in nature, examines the genesis of the problem from a historical perspective, discusses various unresolved issues from multiple points of view, assesses the present status of the notion in light of current knowledge, and provides options for a solution to resolve the issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goro Kuno
- Formerly at the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, Centers for Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
| | - John S Mackenzie
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, WA 6845, Australia.
- Division of Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, PathWest, Nedlands, Western Australia 6009.
| | - Sandra Junglen
- Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Helmut-Ruska-Haus, Chariteplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
| | - Zdeněk Hubálek
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of Czech Republic, 60365 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Alexander Plyusnin
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Duane J Gubler
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-NUS Medical School, 8 College Rd., Singapore 169857 Singapore.
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Vicente-Santos A, Moreira-Soto A, Soto-Garita C, Chaverri LG, Chaves A, Drexler JF, Morales JA, Alfaro-Alarcón A, Rodríguez-Herrera B, Corrales-Aguilar E. Neotropical bats that co-habit with humans function as dead-end hosts for dengue virus. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005537. [PMID: 28545090 PMCID: PMC5451070 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Revised: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 03/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies have shown Dengue Virus (DENV) nucleic acids and/or antibodies present in Neotropical wildlife including bats, suggesting that some bat species may be susceptible to DENV infection. Here we aim to elucidate the role of house-roosting bats in the DENV transmission cycle. Bats were sampled in households located in high and low dengue incidence regions during rainy and dry seasons in Costa Rica. We captured 318 bats from 12 different species in 29 households. Necropsies were performed in 205 bats to analyze virus presence in heart, lung, spleen, liver, intestine, kidney, and brain tissue. Histopathology studies from all organs showed no significant findings of disease or infection. Sera were analyzed by PRNT90 for a seroprevalence of 21.2% (51/241), and by PCR for 8.8% (28/318) positive bats for DENV RNA. From these 28 bats, 11 intestine samples were analyzed by RT-PCR. Two intestines were DENV RNA positive for the same dengue serotype detected in blood. Viral isolation from all positive organs or blood was unsuccessful. Additionally, viral load analyses in positive blood samples by qRT-PCR showed virus concentrations under the minimal dose required for mosquito infection. Simultaneously, 651 mosquitoes were collected using EVS-CO2 traps and analyzed for DENV and feeding preferences (bat cytochrome b). Only three mosquitoes were found DENV positive and none was positive for bat cytochrome b. Our results suggest an accidental presence of DENV in bats probably caused from oral ingestion of infected mosquitoes. Phylogenetic analyses suggest also a spillover event from humans to bats. Therefore, we conclude that bats in these urban environments do not sustain DENV amplification, they do not have a role as reservoirs, but function as epidemiological dead end hosts for this virus. Dengue is the most important human vector-borne disease. Several studies have shown DENV presence in mammalian wildlife such as bats, thus considering them putative reservoirs or hosts. We aimed to elucidate if bats that cohabit in houses in close proximity with humans may be involved in a dengue transmission cycle. We sampled bats in low and high dengue incidence areas during the dry (low mosquito abundance) and wet (high mosquito abundance) seasons. We analyzed blood and several organs. As previously reported, we found DENV nucleic acid and neutralizing antibodies in a small percentage of blood samples, but virus detection in all organs was negative. We were able to show that dengue found in all positive samples was in low concentration and thus virus isolation was unsuccessful. We found positive intestine samples which may suggest infection through DENV-positive mosquito ingestion. Furthermore, mosquitoes sampled in close vicinity of bats’ roosting place were not feeding on these mammals. Virus sequence analysis from bats and humans show a spillover effect from humans to bats. Taken together, our results indicate that bats do not sustain sufficient virus amplification in order to function as reservoirs and exclude them as players in the dengue virus transmission cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Vicente-Santos
- Virology-CIET (Research Center for Tropical Diseases), Microbiology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Biology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Andres Moreira-Soto
- Virology-CIET (Research Center for Tropical Diseases), Microbiology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- Institute of Virology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, Germany
| | - Claudio Soto-Garita
- Virology-CIET (Research Center for Tropical Diseases), Microbiology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Luis Guillermo Chaverri
- Exact and Natural Sciences School, National Distance Education University, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Andrea Chaves
- Biology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Jan Felix Drexler
- Institute of Virology, University of Bonn Medical Centre, Bonn, Germany
- German Centre for Infection Research, Bonn-Cologne, Germany
| | - Juan Alberto Morales
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, National University, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Alejandro Alfaro-Alarcón
- Department of Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine, National University, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | | | - Eugenia Corrales-Aguilar
- Virology-CIET (Research Center for Tropical Diseases), Microbiology, University of Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
- * E-mail:
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