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Riesle-Sbarbaro SA, Wibbelt G, Düx A, Kouakou V, Bokelmann M, Hansen-Kant K, Kirchoff N, Laue M, Kromarek N, Lander A, Vogel U, Wahlbrink A, Wozniak DM, Scott DP, Prescott JB, Schaade L, Couacy-Hymann E, Kurth A. Selective replication and vertical transmission of Ebola virus in experimentally infected Angolan free-tailed bats. Nat Commun 2024; 15:925. [PMID: 38297087 PMCID: PMC10830451 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45231-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The natural reservoir of Ebola virus (EBOV), agent of a zoonosis burdening several African countries, remains unidentified, albeit evidence points towards bats. In contrast, the ecology of the related Marburg virus is much better understood; with experimental infections of bats being instrumental for understanding reservoir-pathogen interactions. Experiments have focused on elucidating reservoir competence, infection kinetics and specifically horizontal transmission, although, vertical transmission plays a key role in many viral enzootic cycles. Herein, we investigate the permissiveness of Angolan free-tailed bats (AFBs), known to harbour Bombali virus, to other filoviruses: Ebola, Marburg, Taï Forest and Reston viruses. We demonstrate that only the bats inoculated with EBOV show high and disseminated viral replication and infectious virus shedding, without clinical disease, while the other filoviruses fail to establish productive infections. Notably, we evidence placental-specific tissue tropism and a unique ability of EBOV to traverse the placenta, infect and persist in foetal tissues of AFBs, which results in distinct genetic signatures of adaptive evolution. These findings not only demonstrate plausible routes of horizontal and vertical transmission in these bats, which are expectant of reservoir hosts, but may also reveal an ancillary transmission mechanism, potentially required for the maintenance of EBOV in small reservoir populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- S A Riesle-Sbarbaro
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - G Wibbelt
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
| | - A Düx
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute for One Health, Greifswald, Germany
| | - V Kouakou
- LANADA, Laboratoire National d'Appui au Développement Agricole, Bingerville, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - M Bokelmann
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - K Hansen-Kant
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - N Kirchoff
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - M Laue
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - N Kromarek
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - A Lander
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - U Vogel
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - A Wahlbrink
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - D M Wozniak
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
- Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - D P Scott
- Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - J B Prescott
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - L Schaade
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany
| | - E Couacy-Hymann
- LANADA, Laboratoire National d'Appui au Développement Agricole, Bingerville, Côte d'Ivoire
- Centre National de Recherches Agronomiques, LIRED, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - A Kurth
- Center for Biological Threats and Special Pathogens, Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany.
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Hoste ACR, Djadjovski I, Jiménez-Clavero MÁ, Rueda P, Barr JN, Sastre P. Multiplex Assay for Simultaneous Detection of Antibodies against Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus Nucleocapsid Protein and Glycoproteins in Ruminants. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0260022. [PMID: 36815788 PMCID: PMC10101078 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02600-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a widespread tick-borne zoonotic virus that causes Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF). CCHF is asymptomatic in infected animals but can develop into severe illness in humans, with high case-fatality rates. Due to complex environmental and socio-economic factors, the distribution of CCHFV vectors is changing, leading to disease occurrence in previously unaffected countries. Neither an effective treatment nor a vaccine has been developed against CCHFV; thus, surveillance programs are essential to limit and control the spread of the virus. Furthermore, the WHO highlighted the need of assays that can cover a range of CCHFV antigenic targets, DIVA (differentiating infected from vaccinated animals) assays, or assays for future vaccine evaluation. Here, we developed a multiplex assay, based on a suspension microarray, able to detect specific antibodies in ruminants to three recombinantly produced CCHFV proteins: the nucleocapsid (N) protein and two glycoproteins, GN ectodomain (GNe), and GP38. This triplex assay was used to assess the antibody response in naturally infected animals. Out of the 29 positive field sera to the N protein, 40% showed antibodies against GNe or GP38, with 11 out of these 12 samples being positive to both glycoproteins. To determine the diagnostic specificity of the test, a total of 147 sera from Spanish farms free of CCHFV were included in the study. This multiplex assay could be useful to detect antibodies to different proteins of CCHFV as vaccine target candidates and to study the immune response to CCHFV in infected animals and for surveillance programs to prevent the further spread of the virus. IMPORTANCE Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) causes Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, which is one of the most important tick-borne viral diseases of humans and has recently been found in previously unaffected countries such as Spain. The disease is asymptomatic in infected animals but can develop into severe illness in humans. As neither an effective treatment nor a vaccine has been developed against CCHFV, surveillance programs are essential to limit and control the spread of the virus. In this study, a multiplex assay detecting antibodies against different CCHFV antigens in a single sample and independent of the ruminant species has been developed. This assay could be very useful in surveillance studies, to control the spread of CCHFV and prevent future outbreaks, and to better understand the immune response induced by CCHFV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis C. R. Hoste
- Eurofins-Inmunología y Genética Aplicada S.A. (Eurofins-INGENASA S.A.), Madrid, Spain
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Igor Djadjovski
- Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Skopje, North Macedonia
| | - Miguel Ángel Jiménez-Clavero
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA), Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA-CSIC), Valdeolmos, Spain
- CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Paloma Rueda
- Eurofins-Inmunología y Genética Aplicada S.A. (Eurofins-INGENASA S.A.), Madrid, Spain
| | - John N. Barr
- School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Patricia Sastre
- Eurofins-Inmunología y Genética Aplicada S.A. (Eurofins-INGENASA S.A.), Madrid, Spain
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