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Folly AJ, Marston DA, Golding M, Shukla S, Wilkie R, Lean FZX, Núñez A, Worledge L, Aegerter J, Banyard AC, Fooks AR, Johnson N, McElhinney LM. Incursion of European Bat Lyssavirus 1 (EBLV-1) in Serotine Bats in the United Kingdom. Viruses 2021; 13:v13101979. [PMID: 34696409 PMCID: PMC8536961 DOI: 10.3390/v13101979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Lyssaviruses are an important genus of zoonotic viruses which cause the disease rabies. The United Kingdom is free of classical rabies (RABV). However, bat rabies due to European bat lyssavirus 2 (EBLV-2), has been detected in Daubenton’s bats (Myotis daubentonii) in Great Britain since 1996, including a fatal human case in Scotland in 2002. Across Europe, European bat lyssavirus 1 (EBLV-1) is commonly associated with serotine bats (Eptesicus serotinus). Despite the presence of serotine bats across large parts of southern England, EBLV-1 had not previously been detected in this population. However, in 2018, EBLV-1 was detected through passive surveillance in a serotine bat from Dorset, England, using a combination of fluorescent antibody test, reverse transcription-PCR, Sanger sequencing and immunohistochemical analysis. Subsequent EBLV-1 positive serotine bats have been identified in South West England, again through passive surveillance, during 2018, 2019 and 2020. Here, we confirm details of seven cases of EBLV-1 and present similarities in genetic sequence indicating that emergence of EBLV-1 is likely to be recent, potentially associated with the natural movement of bats from the near continent
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Affiliation(s)
- Arran J. Folly
- Virology Department, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK; (D.A.M.); (M.G.); (S.S.); (R.W.); (A.C.B.); (A.R.F.); (N.J.); (L.M.M.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Denise A. Marston
- Virology Department, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK; (D.A.M.); (M.G.); (S.S.); (R.W.); (A.C.B.); (A.R.F.); (N.J.); (L.M.M.)
| | - Megan Golding
- Virology Department, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK; (D.A.M.); (M.G.); (S.S.); (R.W.); (A.C.B.); (A.R.F.); (N.J.); (L.M.M.)
| | - Shweta Shukla
- Virology Department, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK; (D.A.M.); (M.G.); (S.S.); (R.W.); (A.C.B.); (A.R.F.); (N.J.); (L.M.M.)
| | - Rebekah Wilkie
- Virology Department, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK; (D.A.M.); (M.G.); (S.S.); (R.W.); (A.C.B.); (A.R.F.); (N.J.); (L.M.M.)
| | - Fabian Z. X. Lean
- Pathology and Animal Sciences Department, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK; (F.Z.X.L.); (A.N.)
| | - Alejandro Núñez
- Pathology and Animal Sciences Department, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK; (F.Z.X.L.); (A.N.)
| | - Lisa Worledge
- Bat Conservation Trust, Studio 15 Cloisters House, Cloisters Business Centre, 8 Battersea Park Road, London SW8 4BG, UK;
| | - James Aegerter
- National Wildlife Management Centre, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK;
| | - Ashley C. Banyard
- Virology Department, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK; (D.A.M.); (M.G.); (S.S.); (R.W.); (A.C.B.); (A.R.F.); (N.J.); (L.M.M.)
| | - Anthony R. Fooks
- Virology Department, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK; (D.A.M.); (M.G.); (S.S.); (R.W.); (A.C.B.); (A.R.F.); (N.J.); (L.M.M.)
| | - Nicholas Johnson
- Virology Department, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK; (D.A.M.); (M.G.); (S.S.); (R.W.); (A.C.B.); (A.R.F.); (N.J.); (L.M.M.)
| | - Lorraine M. McElhinney
- Virology Department, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Woodham Lane, Addlestone KT15 3NB, UK; (D.A.M.); (M.G.); (S.S.); (R.W.); (A.C.B.); (A.R.F.); (N.J.); (L.M.M.)
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Begeman L, Suu-Ire R, Banyard AC, Drosten C, Eggerbauer E, Freuling CM, Gibson L, Goharriz H, Horton DL, Jennings D, Marston DA, Ntiamoa-Baidu Y, Riesle Sbarbaro S, Selden D, Wise EL, Kuiken T, Fooks AR, Müller T, Wood JLN, Cunningham AA. Experimental Lagos bat virus infection in straw-colored fruit bats: A suitable model for bat rabies in a natural reservoir species. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008898. [PMID: 33320860 PMCID: PMC7771871 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Rabies is a fatal neurologic disease caused by lyssavirus infection. Bats are important natural reservoir hosts of various lyssaviruses that can be transmitted to people. The epidemiology and pathogenesis of rabies in bats are poorly understood, making it difficult to prevent zoonotic transmission. To further our understanding of lyssavirus pathogenesis in a natural bat host, an experimental model using straw-colored fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) and Lagos bat virus, an endemic lyssavirus in this species, was developed. To determine the lowest viral dose resulting in 100% productive infection, bats in five groups (four bats per group) were inoculated intramuscularly with one of five doses, ranging from 100.1 to 104.1 median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50). More bats died due to the development of rabies after the middle dose (102.1 TCID50, 4/4 bats) than after lower (101.1, 2/4; 101.1, 2/4) or higher (103.1, 2/4; 104.1, 2/4) doses of virus. In the two highest dose groups, 4/8 bats developed rabies. Of those bats that remained healthy 3/4 bats seroconverted, suggesting that high antigen loads can trigger a strong immune response that abrogates a productive infection. In contrast, in the two lowest dose groups, 3/8 bats developed rabies, 1/8 remained healthy and seroconverted and 4/8 bats remained healthy and did not seroconvert, suggesting these doses are too low to reliably induce infection. The main lesion in all clinically affected bats was meningoencephalitis associated with lyssavirus-positive neurons. Lyssavirus antigen was detected in tongue epithelium (5/11 infected bats) rather than in salivary gland epithelium (0/11), suggesting viral excretion via the tongue. Thus, intramuscular inoculation of 102.1 TCID50 of Lagos bat virus into straw-colored fruit bats is a suitable model for lyssavirus associated bat rabies in a natural reservoir host, and can help with the investigation of lyssavirus infection dynamics in bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lineke Begeman
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- * E-mail: (LB); (AAC)
| | - Richard Suu-Ire
- School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ashley C. Banyard
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector Borne Disease Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Christian Drosten
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Elisa Eggerbauer
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald, Island of Riems, Germany
- Thüringer Landesamt für Verbraucherschutz, Bad Langensalza, Thüringen, Germany
| | - Conrad M. Freuling
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald, Island of Riems, Germany
| | - Louise Gibson
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hooman Goharriz
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector Borne Disease Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel L. Horton
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
| | - Daisy Jennings
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector Borne Disease Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Denise A. Marston
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector Borne Disease Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu
- Centre for African Wetlands / Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Silke Riesle Sbarbaro
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, United Kingdom
- University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - David Selden
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector Borne Disease Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Emma L. Wise
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector Borne Disease Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Thijs Kuiken
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anthony R. Fooks
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector Borne Disease Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Müller
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald, Island of Riems, Germany
| | | | - Andrew A. Cunningham
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (LB); (AAC)
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Seidlova V, Zukal J, Brichta J, Anisimov N, Apoznański G, Bandouchova H, Bartonička T, Berková H, Botvinkin AD, Heger T, Dundarova H, Kokurewicz T, Linhart P, Orlov OL, Piacek V, Presetnik P, Shumkina AP, Tiunov MP, Treml F, Pikula J. Active surveillance for antibodies confirms circulation of lyssaviruses in Palearctic bats. BMC Vet Res 2020; 16:482. [PMID: 33302915 PMCID: PMC7731468 DOI: 10.1186/s12917-020-02702-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Palearctic bats host a diversity of lyssaviruses, though not the classical rabies virus (RABV). As surveillance for bat rabies over the Palearctic area covering Central and Eastern Europe and Siberian regions of Russia has been irregular, we lack data on geographic and seasonal patterns of the infection. RESULTS To address this, we undertook serological testing, using non-lethally sampled blood, on 1027 bats of 25 species in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Russia and Slovenia between 2014 and 2018. The indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) detected rabies virus anti-glycoprotein antibodies in 33 bats, giving an overall seroprevalence of 3.2%. Bat species exceeding the seroconversion threshold included Myotis blythii, Myotis gracilis, Myotis petax, Myotis myotis, Murina hilgendorfi, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum and Vespertilio murinus. While Myotis species (84.8%) and adult females (48.5%) dominated in seropositive bats, juveniles of both sexes showed no difference in seroprevalence. Higher numbers tested positive when sampled during the active season (10.5%), as compared with the hibernation period (0.9%). Bat rabies seroprevalence was significantly higher in natural habitats (4.0%) compared with synanthropic roosts (1.2%). Importantly, in 2018, we recorded 73.1% seroprevalence in a cave containing a M. blythii maternity colony in the Altai Krai of Russia. CONCLUSIONS Identification of such "hotspots" of non-RABV lyssavirus circulation not only provides important information for public health protection, it can also guide research activities aimed at more in-depth bat rabies studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Seidlova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Zukal
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 267/2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Brichta
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Nikolay Anisimov
- Land Use and Biodiversity, International Complex Research Laboratory for Study of Climate Change, Tyumen State University, Volodarckogo 6, 625003, Tyumen, Russia
| | - Grzegorz Apoznański
- Institute of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Palaeontology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Hana Bandouchova
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Bartonička
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 267/2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Berková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Květná 8, 603 65, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alexander D Botvinkin
- Irkutsk State Medical University, Krasnogo Vosstania street 1, 664003, Irkutsk, Russian Federation
| | - Tomas Heger
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Heliana Dundarova
- Department of Ecosystem Research, Environment Risk Assessment and Conservation Biology, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Tsar Osvoboditel 1, 1000, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Tomasz Kokurewicz
- Institute of Biology, Department of Vertebrate Ecology and Palaeontology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Petr Linhart
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Oleg L Orlov
- Land Use and Biodiversity, International Complex Research Laboratory for Study of Climate Change, Tyumen State University, Volodarckogo 6, 625003, Tyumen, Russia
- Department of Biochemistry, Ural State Medical University, Repina 3, 620014, Ekaterinburg, Russia
| | - Vladimir Piacek
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Primož Presetnik
- Centre for Cartography of Fauna and Flora, Antoličičeva 1, SI-2204 , Miklavž na Dravskem polju, Slovenia
| | - Alexandra P Shumkina
- Western Baikal protected areas, Federal State Budgetary Institution "Zapovednoe Pribaikalye", Baikalskaya st. 291B, 664050, Irkutsk, Russia
| | - Mikhail P Tiunov
- Institute of Biology and Soil Science, Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pr- t 100-letiya Vladivostoka 159, 690022, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Frantisek Treml
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiri Pikula
- Department of Ecology and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Palackého tř. 1946/1, 612 42, Brno, Czech Republic
- CEITEC - Central European Institute of Technology, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
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Potratz M, Zaeck LM, Weigel C, Klein A, Freuling CM, Müller T, Finke S. Neuroglia infection by rabies virus after anterograde virus spread in peripheral neurons. Acta Neuropathol Commun 2020; 8:199. [PMID: 33228789 PMCID: PMC7684951 DOI: 10.1186/s40478-020-01074-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The highly neurotropic rabies virus (RABV) enters peripheral neurons at axon termini and requires long distance axonal transport and trans-synaptic spread between neurons for the infection of the central nervous system (CNS). Recent 3D imaging of field RABV-infected brains revealed a remarkably high proportion of infected astroglia, indicating that highly virulent field viruses are able to suppress astrocyte-mediated innate immune responses and virus elimination pathways. While fundamental for CNS invasion, in vivo field RABV spread and tropism in peripheral tissues is understudied. Here, we used three-dimensional light sheet and confocal laser scanning microscopy to investigate the in vivo distribution patterns of a field RABV clone in cleared high-volume tissue samples after infection via a natural (intramuscular; hind leg) and an artificial (intracranial) inoculation route. Immunostaining of virus and host markers provided a comprehensive overview of RABV infection in the CNS and peripheral nerves after centripetal and centrifugal virus spread. Importantly, we identified non-neuronal, axon-ensheathing neuroglia (Schwann cells, SCs) in peripheral nerves of the hind leg and facial regions as a target cell population of field RABV. This suggests that virus release from axons and infected SCs is part of the RABV in vivo cycle and may affect RABV-related demyelination of peripheral neurons and local innate immune responses. Detection of RABV in axon-surrounding myelinating SCs after i.c. infection further provided evidence for anterograde spread of RABV, highlighting that RABV axonal transport and spread of infectious virus in peripheral nerves is not exclusively retrograde. Our data support a new model in which, comparable to CNS neuroglia, SC infection in peripheral nerves suppresses glia-mediated innate immunity and delays antiviral host responses required for successful transport from the peripheral infection sites to the brain.
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Calderón A, Guzmán C, Mattar S, Rodríguez V, Acosta A, Martínez C. Frugivorous bats in the Colombian Caribbean region are reservoirs of the rabies virus. Ann Clin Microbiol Antimicrob 2019; 18:11. [PMID: 30890183 PMCID: PMC6423830 DOI: 10.1186/s12941-019-0308-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bats are an important ecological group within ecosystems. The rabies virus is a Lyssavirus, and haematophagous bats are the principal reservoir; however, the virus has also been detected in non-haematophagous bats. The objective was to determine the rabies virus in non-haematophagous bats in the Colombian Caribbean region. METHODS In 2017, a cross-sectional study was carried out with a base-risk sampling in twelve geographic zones of the Colombian Caribbean area that included the main ecosystems of two departments. 286 bats were captured, which were euthanized with a pharmacological treatment following the ethical protocols of animal experimentation. The taxonomic identification was done with dichotomous keys. The necropsy was carried out at the capture site, and brain samples were kept in liquid nitrogen. The extraction of the RNA was carried out from the frozen brains with Trizol™; a fragment of 914 bp of the glycoprotein G of the rabies virus was amplified with RT-PCR. The amplicons were sequenced with the Sanger method. RESULTS Twenty-three genera of bats were identified, and, in two frugivorous, Artibeus lituratus and Artibeus planirostris, amplicons were obtained and sequenced as the rabies virus. CONCLUSIONS This is the first evidence of natural infection of the rabies virus in frugivorous bats in the Colombian Caribbean area; this result is important for the surveillance and control of rabies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Calderón
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas del Trópico (IIBT), Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Doctorado en Medicina Tropical, Universidad de Córdoba, Carrera 6 No 76-103., Monteria, Córdoba Colombia
| | - Camilo Guzmán
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas del Trópico (IIBT), Programa Regencia en Farmacia, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Doctorado en Medicina Tropical, Universidad de Córdoba, Monteria, Colombia
| | - Salim Mattar
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas del Trópico (IIBT), Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Doctorado en Medicina Tropical, Universidad de Córdoba, Carrera 6 No 76-103., Monteria, Córdoba Colombia
| | - Virginia Rodríguez
- Grupo de Investigaciones Microbiológicas y Biomédicas de Córdoba (GIMBIC). Programa de Bacteriología, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Córdoba, Monteria, Colombia
| | - Arles Acosta
- Producción Animal Tropical Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad de Córdoba, Monteria, Colombia
| | - Caty Martínez
- Producción Animal Tropical Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad de Córdoba, Monteria, Colombia
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Clinical, Histopathologic, and Immunohistochemical Characterization of Experimental Marburg Virus Infection in A Natural Reservoir Host, the Egyptian Rousette Bat ( Rousettus aegyptiacus). Viruses 2019; 11:v11030214. [PMID: 30832364 PMCID: PMC6466277 DOI: 10.3390/v11030214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Egyptian rousette bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) are natural reservoir hosts of Marburg virus (MARV), and Ravn virus (RAVV; collectively called marburgviruses) and have been linked to human cases of Marburg virus disease (MVD). We investigated the clinical and pathologic effects of experimental MARV infection in Egyptian rousettes through a serial euthanasia study and found clear evidence of mild but transient disease. Three groups of nine, captive-born, juvenile male bats were inoculated subcutaneously with 10,000 TCID50 of Marburg virus strain Uganda 371Bat2007, a minimally passaged virus originally isolated from a wild Egyptian rousette. Control bats (n = 3) were mock-inoculated. Three animals per day were euthanized at 3, 5⁻10, 12 and 28 days post-inoculation (DPI); controls were euthanized at 28 DPI. Blood chemistry analyses showed a mild, statistically significant elevation in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) at 3, 6 and 7 DPI. Lymphocyte and monocyte counts were mildly elevated in inoculated bats after 9 DPI. Liver histology revealed small foci of inflammatory infiltrate in infected bats, similar to lesions previously described in wild, naturally-infected bats. Liver lesion severity scores peaked at 7 DPI, and were correlated with both ALT and hepatic viral RNA levels. Immunohistochemical staining detected infrequent viral antigen in liver (3⁻8 DPI, n = 8), spleen (3⁻7 DPI, n = 8), skin (inoculation site; 3⁻12 DPI, n = 20), lymph nodes (3⁻10 DPI, n = 6), and oral submucosa (8⁻9 DPI, n = 2). Viral antigen was present in histiocytes, hepatocytes and mesenchymal cells, and in the liver, antigen staining co-localized with inflammatory foci. These results show the first clear evidence of very mild disease caused by a filovirus in a reservoir bat host and provide support for our experimental model of this virus-reservoir host system.
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Suu-Ire R, Begeman L, Banyard AC, Breed AC, Drosten C, Eggerbauer E, Freuling CM, Gibson L, Goharriz H, Horton DL, Jennings D, Kuzmin IV, Marston D, Ntiamoa-Baidu Y, Riesle Sbarbaro S, Selden D, Wise EL, Kuiken T, Fooks AR, Müller T, Wood JLN, Cunningham AA. Pathogenesis of bat rabies in a natural reservoir: Comparative susceptibility of the straw-colored fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) to three strains of Lagos bat virus. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006311. [PMID: 29505617 PMCID: PMC5854431 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2017] [Revised: 03/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Rabies is a fatal neurologic disease caused by lyssavirus infection. People are infected through contact with infected animals. The relative increase of human rabies acquired from bats calls for a better understanding of lyssavirus infections in their natural hosts. So far, there is no experimental model that mimics natural lyssavirus infection in the reservoir bat species. Lagos bat virus is a lyssavirus that is endemic in straw-colored fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) in Africa. Here we compared the susceptibility of these bats to three strains of Lagos bat virus (from Senegal, Nigeria, and Ghana) by intracranial inoculation. To allow comparison between strains, we ensured the same titer of virus was inoculated in the same location of the brain of each bat. All bats (n = 3 per strain) were infected, and developed neurological signs, and fatal meningoencephalitis with lyssavirus antigen expression in neurons. There were three main differences among the groups. First, time to death was substantially shorter in the Senegal and Ghana groups (4 to 6 days) than in the Nigeria group (8 days). Second, each virus strain produced a distinct clinical syndrome. Third, the spread of virus to peripheral tissues, tested by hemi-nested reverse transcriptase PCR, was frequent (3 of 3 bats) and widespread (8 to 10 tissues positive of 11 tissues examined) in the Ghana group, was frequent and less widespread in the Senegal group (3/3 bats, 3 to 6 tissues positive), and was rare and restricted in the Nigeria group (1/3 bats, 2 tissues positive). Centrifugal spread of virus from brain to tissue of excretion in the oral cavity is required to enable lyssavirus transmission. Therefore, the Senegal and Ghana strains seem most suitable for further pathogenesis, and for transmission, studies in the straw-colored fruit bat. Rabies is a neurologic disease that causes severe suffering and is almost always fatal. The disease is caused by infection with a virus of the genus Lyssavirus, of which 16 species are known. These viruses replicate in neurons, are excreted in the mouth, and are transmitted by bites. Dogs are the most important source of rabies for humans, but recently there is a relative increase in people contracting the disease from bats. To better understand the development of human rabies caused by these bat-acquired viruses, we need to study this disease in its bat host under controlled circumstances. To do so, we chose a naturally occurring lyssavirus–host combination: Lagos bat virus in straw-colored fruit bats. We compared three available strains of Lagos bat virus (all isolated from brains of this bat species) for their ability to mimic a natural infection. We used intracranial inoculation to ensure infection of the brain. All three strains infected brain neurons, resulting in fatal neurologic disease, however only two of the strains showed the ability to reach the site of excretion—the mouth—and were considered a suitable virus to use for further studies of this disease in bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Suu-Ire
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Veterinary Services Department, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Accra, Ghana
- Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission, Accra, Ghana
| | - Lineke Begeman
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ashley C. Banyard
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector Borne Disease Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew C. Breed
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector Borne Disease Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Christian Drosten
- Institute of Virology, Medical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Elisa Eggerbauer
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald, Island of Riems, Germany
| | - Conrad M. Freuling
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald, Island of Riems, Germany
| | - Louise Gibson
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hooman Goharriz
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector Borne Disease Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel L. Horton
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
| | - Daisy Jennings
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector Borne Disease Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Ivan V. Kuzmin
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Denise Marston
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector Borne Disease Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Yaa Ntiamoa-Baidu
- Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Silke Riesle Sbarbaro
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - David Selden
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector Borne Disease Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Emma L. Wise
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector Borne Disease Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Thijs Kuiken
- Department of Viroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anthony R. Fooks
- Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector Borne Disease Research Group, Animal and Plant Health Agency, Addlestone, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Müller
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald, Island of Riems, Germany
| | - James L. N. Wood
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew A. Cunningham
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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8
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Abstract
With over 1200 species identified, bats represent almost one quarter of the world’s mammals. Bats provide crucial environmental services, such as insect control and pollination, and inhabit a wide variety of ecological niches on all continents except Antarctica. Despite their ubiquity and ecological importance, relatively little has been published on diseases of bats, while much has been written on bats’ role as reservoirs in disease transmission. This chapter will focus on diseases and pathologic processes most commonly reported in captive and free-ranging bats. Unique anatomical and histological features and common infectious and non-infectious diseases will be discussed. As recognition of both the importance and vulnerability of bats grows, particularly following population declines in North America due to the introduction of the fungal disease white-nose syndrome, efforts should be made to better understand threats to the health of this unique group of mammals.
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9
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Begeman L, GeurtsvanKessel C, Finke S, Freuling CM, Koopmans M, Müller T, Ruigrok TJH, Kuiken T. Comparative pathogenesis of rabies in bats and carnivores, and implications for spillover to humans. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2017; 18:e147-e159. [PMID: 29100899 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(17)30574-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Bat-acquired rabies is becoming increasingly common, and its diagnosis could be missed partly because its clinical presentation differs from that of dog-acquired rabies. We reviewed the scientific literature to compare the pathogenesis of rabies in bats and carnivores-including dogs-and related this pathogenesis to differences in the clinical presentation of bat-acquired and dog-acquired rabies in human beings. For bat-acquired rabies, we found that the histological site of exposure is usually limited to the skin, the anatomical site of exposure is more commonly the face, and the virus might be more adapted for entry via the skin than for dog-acquired rabies. These factors could help to explain several differences in clinical presentation between individuals with bat-acquired and those with dog-acquired rabies. A better understanding of these differences should improve the recording of a patient's history, enable drawing up of a more sophisticated list of clinical characteristics, and therefore obtain an earlier diagnosis of rabies after contact with a bat or carnivore that has rabies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lineke Begeman
- Department of Viroscience, Postgraduate School Molecular Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Corine GeurtsvanKessel
- Department of Viroscience, Postgraduate School Molecular Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Stefan Finke
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research, OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabies, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Conrad M Freuling
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research, OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabies, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Marion Koopmans
- Department of Viroscience, Postgraduate School Molecular Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Thomas Müller
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research, OIE Reference Laboratory for Rabies, Greifswald, Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Tom J H Ruigrok
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Thijs Kuiken
- Department of Viroscience, Postgraduate School Molecular Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
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10
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Eggerbauer E, Pfaff F, Finke S, Höper D, Beer M, Mettenleiter TC, Nolden T, Teifke JP, Müller T, Freuling CM. Comparative analysis of European bat lyssavirus 1 pathogenicity in the mouse model. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2017; 11:e0005668. [PMID: 28628617 PMCID: PMC5491315 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Revised: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
European bat lyssavirus 1 is responsible for most bat rabies cases in Europe. Although EBLV-1 isolates display a high degree of sequence identity, different sublineages exist. In individual isolates various insertions and deletions have been identified, with unknown impact on viral replication and pathogenicity. In order to assess whether different genetic features of EBLV-1 isolates correlate with phenotypic changes, different EBLV-1 variants were compared for pathogenicity in the mouse model. Groups of three mice were infected intracranially (i.c.) with 102 TCID50/ml and groups of six mice were infected intramuscularly (i.m.) with 105 TCID50/ml and 102 TCID50/ml as well as intranasally (i.n.) with 102 TCID50/ml. Significant differences in survival following i.m. inoculation with low doses as well as i.n. inoculation were observed. Also, striking variations in incubation periods following i.c. inoculation and i.m. inoculation with high doses were seen. Hereby, the clinical picture differed between general symptoms, spasms and aggressiveness depending on the inoculation route. Immunohistochemistry of mouse brains showed that the virus distribution in the brain depended on the inoculation route. In conclusion, different EBLV-1 isolates differ in pathogenicity indicating variation which is not reflected in studies of single isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Eggerbauer
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Florian Pfaff
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Stefan Finke
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Dirk Höper
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Martin Beer
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Thomas C. Mettenleiter
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Tobias Nolden
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Jens-Peter Teifke
- Department of Experimental Animal Facilities and Biorisk Management, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Thomas Müller
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Conrad M. Freuling
- Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
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11
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Lyssaviruses and bats: emergence and zoonotic threat. Viruses 2014; 6:2974-90. [PMID: 25093425 PMCID: PMC4147683 DOI: 10.3390/v6082974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Revised: 07/21/2014] [Accepted: 07/22/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The continued detection of zoonotic viral infections in bats has led to the microbial fauna of these mammals being studied at a greater level than ever before. Whilst numerous pathogens have been discovered in bat species, infection with lyssaviruses is of particular significance from a zoonotic perspective as, where human infection has been reported, it is invariably fatal. Here we review the detection of lyssaviruses within different bat species and overview what is understood regarding their maintenance and transmission following both experimental and natural infection. We discuss the relevance of these pathogens as zoonotic agents and the threat of newly discovered viruses to human populations.
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12
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Nolden T, Banyard AC, Finke S, Fooks AR, Hanke D, Höper D, Horton DL, Mettenleiter TC, Müller T, Teifke JP, Freuling CM. Comparative studies on the genetic, antigenic and pathogenic characteristics of Bokeloh bat lyssavirus. J Gen Virol 2014; 95:1647-1653. [PMID: 24828330 PMCID: PMC4103065 DOI: 10.1099/vir.0.065953-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bokeloh bat lyssavirus (BBLV), a novel lyssavirus, was isolated from a Natterer’s bat (Myotis nattererii), a chiropteran species with a widespread and abundant distribution across Europe. As a novel lyssavirus, the risks of BBLV to animal and human health are unknown and as such characterization both in vitro and in vivo was required to assess pathogenicity and vaccine protection. Full genome sequence analysis and antigenic cartography demonstrated that the German BBLV isolates are most closely related to European bat lyssavirus type 2 (EBLV-2) and Khujand virus and can be characterized within phylogroup I. In vivo characterization demonstrated that BBLV was pathogenic in mice when inoculated peripherally causing clinical signs typical for rabies encephalitis, with higher pathogenicity observed in juvenile mice. A limited vaccination-challenge experiment in mice was conducted and suggested that current vaccines would afford some protection against BBLV although further studies are warranted to determine a serological cut-off for protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Nolden
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research, Südufer 10, D-17493 Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Ashley C Banyard
- Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency - Weybridge, Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector-borne Diseases Research Group, Woodham Lane, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Stefan Finke
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research, Südufer 10, D-17493 Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Anthony R Fooks
- University of Liverpool, Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Liverpool L3 5TQ, UK.,Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency - Weybridge, Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector-borne Diseases Research Group, Woodham Lane, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Dennis Hanke
- FLI, Institute of Diagnostic Virology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research, Südufer 10, D-17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Dirk Höper
- FLI, Institute of Diagnostic Virology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research, Südufer 10, D-17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Daniel L Horton
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.,Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency - Weybridge, Wildlife Zoonoses and Vector-borne Diseases Research Group, Woodham Lane, Surrey KT15 3NB, UK
| | - Thomas C Mettenleiter
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research, Südufer 10, D-17493 Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Thomas Müller
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research, Südufer 10, D-17493 Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Jens P Teifke
- FLI, Department of Animal Husbandry and Biorisk Management, WHO Collaborating Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research, Südufer 10, D-17493 Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Conrad M Freuling
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Institute of Molecular Virology and Cell Biology, WHO Collaborating Centre for Rabies Surveillance and Research, Südufer 10, D-17493 Greifswald - Insel Riems, Germany
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