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Weber N, Nagy M, Markotter W, Schaer J, Puechmaille SJ, Sutton J, Dávalos LM, Dusabe MC, Ejotre I, Fenton MB, Knörnschild M, López-Baucells A, Medellin RA, Metz M, Mubareka S, Nsengimana O, O'Mara MT, Racey PA, Tuttle M, Twizeyimana I, Vicente-Santos A, Tschapka M, Voigt CC, Wikelski M, Dechmann DK, Reeder DM. Robust evidence for bats as reservoir hosts is lacking in most African virus studies: a review and call to optimize sampling and conserve bats. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20230358. [PMID: 37964576 PMCID: PMC10646460 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2023.0358] [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: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Africa experiences frequent emerging disease outbreaks among humans, with bats often proposed as zoonotic pathogen hosts. We comprehensively reviewed virus-bat findings from papers published between 1978 and 2020 to evaluate the evidence that African bats are reservoir and/or bridging hosts for viruses that cause human disease. We present data from 162 papers (of 1322) with original findings on (1) numbers and species of bats sampled across bat families and the continent, (2) how bats were selected for study inclusion, (3) if bats were terminally sampled, (4) what types of ecological data, if any, were recorded and (5) which viruses were detected and with what methodology. We propose a scheme for evaluating presumed virus-host relationships by evidence type and quality, using the contrasting available evidence for Orthoebolavirus versus Orthomarburgvirus as an example. We review the wording in abstracts and discussions of all 162 papers, identifying key framing terms, how these refer to findings, and how they might contribute to people's beliefs about bats. We discuss the impact of scientific research communication on public perception and emphasize the need for strategies that minimize human-bat conflict and support bat conservation. Finally, we make recommendations for best practices that will improve virological study metadata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Weber
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm, Germany
| | - Martina Nagy
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
| | - Wanda Markotter
- Centre for Viral Zoonoses, Department of Medical Virology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Juliane Schaer
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sébastien J. Puechmaille
- ISEM, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
- Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | | | - Liliana M. Dávalos
- Department of Ecology and Evolution and Consortium for Inter-Disciplinary Environmental Research, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, USA
| | | | - Imran Ejotre
- Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
- Muni University, Arua, Uganda
| | - M. Brock Fenton
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mirjam Knörnschild
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany
- Evolutionary Ethology, Institute for Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
| | | | - Rodrigo A. Medellin
- Institute of Ecology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Samira Mubareka
- Sunnybrook Research Institute and Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - M. Teague O'Mara
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
- Bat Conservation International Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond, LA, USA
| | - Paul A. Racey
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Merlin Tuttle
- Merlin Tuttle's Bat Conservation, Austin, TX USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, USA
| | | | - Amanda Vicente-Santos
- Graduate Program in Population Biology, Ecology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Marco Tschapka
- University of Ulm, Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
| | | | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Dina K.N. Dechmann
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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2
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Hashimi M, Sebrell TA, Hedges JF, Snyder D, Lyon KN, Byrum SD, Mackintosh SG, Crowley D, Cherne MD, Skwarchuk D, Robison A, Sidar B, Kunze A, Loveday EK, Taylor MP, Chang CB, Wilking JN, Walk ST, Schountz T, Jutila MA, Bimczok D. Antiviral responses in a Jamaican fruit bat intestinal organoid model of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6882. [PMID: 37898615 PMCID: PMC10613288 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42610-x] [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: 12/03/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Bats are natural reservoirs for several zoonotic viruses, potentially due to an enhanced capacity to control viral infection. However, the mechanisms of antiviral responses in bats are poorly defined. Here we established a Jamaican fruit bat (JFB, Artibeus jamaicensis) intestinal organoid model of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Upon infection with SARS-CoV-2, increased viral RNA and subgenomic RNA was detected, but no infectious virus was released, indicating that JFB organoids support only limited viral replication but not viral reproduction. SARS-CoV-2 replication was associated with significantly increased gene expression of type I interferons and inflammatory cytokines. Interestingly, SARS-CoV-2 also caused enhanced formation and growth of JFB organoids. Proteomics revealed an increase in inflammatory signaling, cell turnover, cell repair, and SARS-CoV-2 infection pathways. Collectively, our findings suggest that primary JFB intestinal epithelial cells mount successful antiviral interferon responses and that SARS-CoV-2 infection in JFB cells induces protective regenerative pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marziah Hashimi
- Montana State University, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - T Andrew Sebrell
- Montana State University, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Jodi F Hedges
- Montana State University, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Deann Snyder
- Montana State University, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Katrina N Lyon
- Montana State University, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Stephanie D Byrum
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Little Rock, AR, USA
- Arkansas Children's Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Samuel G Mackintosh
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Dan Crowley
- Montana State University, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Bozeman, MT, USA
- Department of Public & Ecosystem Health, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Michelle D Cherne
- Montana State University, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - David Skwarchuk
- Montana State University, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Amanda Robison
- Montana State University, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Barkan Sidar
- Montana State University, Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Bozeman, MT, USA
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Anja Kunze
- Montana State University, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Emma K Loveday
- Montana State University, Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Bozeman, MT, USA
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Matthew P Taylor
- Montana State University, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Connie B Chang
- Montana State University, Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Bozeman, MT, USA
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Bozeman, MT, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - James N Wilking
- Montana State University, Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Bozeman, MT, USA
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Bozeman, MT, USA
- Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Seth T Walk
- Montana State University, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Tony Schountz
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology and Center of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, Colorado State University, Fort, Collins, CO, USA
| | - Mark A Jutila
- Montana State University, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Diane Bimczok
- Montana State University, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Bozeman, MT, USA.
- Center for Biofilm Engineering, Bozeman, MT, USA.
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3
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Cohen LE, Fagre AC, Chen B, Carlson CJ, Becker DJ. Coronavirus sampling and surveillance in bats from 1996-2019: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:1176-1186. [PMID: 37231088 PMCID: PMC10234814 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01375-1] [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: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 highlights a need for evidence-based strategies to monitor bat viruses. We performed a systematic review of coronavirus sampling (testing for RNA positivity) in bats globally. We identified 110 studies published between 2005 and 2020 that collectively reported positivity from 89,752 bat samples. We compiled 2,274 records of infection prevalence at the finest methodological, spatiotemporal and phylogenetic level of detail possible from public records into an open, static database named datacov, together with metadata on sampling and diagnostic methods. We found substantial heterogeneity in viral prevalence across studies, reflecting spatiotemporal variation in viral dynamics and methodological differences. Meta-analysis identified sample type and sampling design as the best predictors of prevalence, with virus detection maximized in rectal and faecal samples and by repeat sampling of the same site. Fewer than one in five studies collected and reported longitudinal data, and euthanasia did not improve virus detection. We show that bat sampling before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was concentrated in China, with research gaps in South Asia, the Americas and sub-Saharan Africa, and in subfamilies of phyllostomid bats. We propose that surveillance strategies should address these gaps to improve global health security and enable the origins of zoonotic coronaviruses to be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily E Cohen
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Anna C Fagre
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Binqi Chen
- Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Colin J Carlson
- Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Daniel J Becker
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
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4
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Becker DJ, Albery GF, Sjodin AR, Poisot T, Bergner LM, Chen B, Cohen LE, Dallas TA, Eskew EA, Fagre AC, Farrell MJ, Guth S, Han BA, Simmons NB, Stock M, Teeling EC, Carlson CJ. Optimising predictive models to prioritise viral discovery in zoonotic reservoirs. THE LANCET. MICROBE 2022; 3:e625-e637. [PMID: 35036970 PMCID: PMC8747432 DOI: 10.1016/s2666-5247(21)00245-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Despite the global investment in One Health disease surveillance, it remains difficult and costly to identify and monitor the wildlife reservoirs of novel zoonotic viruses. Statistical models can guide sampling target prioritisation, but the predictions from any given model might be highly uncertain; moreover, systematic model validation is rare, and the drivers of model performance are consequently under-documented. Here, we use the bat hosts of betacoronaviruses as a case study for the data-driven process of comparing and validating predictive models of probable reservoir hosts. In early 2020, we generated an ensemble of eight statistical models that predicted host-virus associations and developed priority sampling recommendations for potential bat reservoirs of betacoronaviruses and bridge hosts for SARS-CoV-2. During a time frame of more than a year, we tracked the discovery of 47 new bat hosts of betacoronaviruses, validated the initial predictions, and dynamically updated our analytical pipeline. We found that ecological trait-based models performed well at predicting these novel hosts, whereas network methods consistently performed approximately as well or worse than expected at random. These findings illustrate the importance of ensemble modelling as a buffer against mixed-model quality and highlight the value of including host ecology in predictive models. Our revised models showed an improved performance compared with the initial ensemble, and predicted more than 400 bat species globally that could be undetected betacoronavirus hosts. We show, through systematic validation, that machine learning models can help to optimise wildlife sampling for undiscovered viruses and illustrates how such approaches are best implemented through a dynamic process of prediction, data collection, validation, and updating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Becker
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | - Gregory F Albery
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Anna R Sjodin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
| | - Timothée Poisot
- Université de Montréal, Département de Sciences Biologiques, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Laura M Bergner
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Medical Research Centre, University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Glasgow, UK
| | - Binqi Chen
- Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Lily E Cohen
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tad A Dallas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Evan A Eskew
- Department of Biology, Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, WA, USA
| | - Anna C Fagre
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
- Bat Health Foundation, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Maxwell J Farrell
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sarah Guth
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Barbara A Han
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, USA
| | - Nancy B Simmons
- Department of Mammalogy, Division of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michiel Stock
- Research Unit Knowledge-based Systems, Department of Data Analysis and Mathematical Modelling, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Emma C Teeling
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Science Centre West, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Colin J Carlson
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
- Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
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5
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Couso-Pérez S, Pardavila X, Ares-Mazás E, Gómez-Couso H. Molecular identification of Eimeria species in Spanish bats. Parasitol Int 2022; 91:102621. [PMID: 35809844 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2022.102621] [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: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This is the first study reporting the detection and molecular characterization of Eimeria in bats in Spain, specifically in 12 of 32 chiropteran species described in the Iberian Peninsula. A total of 76 faecal samples were collected from different bat roosting sites across Spanish territory. The DNA was extracted from the samples and sequenced by targeting the Eimeria SSU-rRNA gene. Two Eimeria species were detected in 29 of the 76 faecal samples (38%), and the bat-specific Eimeria rioarribaensis and rodent-specific Eimeria jerfinica were detected in 4 (5%) and 25 (33%) of the samples, respectively. This is the first report of E. rioarribaensis in the bats Rhinolophus euryale, Myotis myotis and Nyctalus lasiopterus, extending the host and geographical ranges for this bat coccidian parasite. The identification of the rodent-specific parasite species E. jerfinica in bats indicates the occurrence of this species in Spain, although its presence has not previously been reported in wild rodents in this country. Considering that most of the Eimeria spp. reported in bats were described only on the basis of morphometric data, molecular studies are required to determined which Eimeria species occur in bats, to complete the identification of these species and to clarify the phylogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seila Couso-Pérez
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Xosé Pardavila
- Sorex Ecoloxía e Medio Ambiente S.L.U., Rúa das Barreiras 80,15702 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Elvira Ares-Mazás
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain
| | - Hipólito Gómez-Couso
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain; Research Institute on Chemical and Biological Analysis, University of Santiago de Compostela, Campus Vida, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Spain.
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6
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Mull N, Carlson CJ, Forbes KM, Becker DJ. Virus isolation data improve host predictions for New World rodent orthohantaviruses. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1290-1302. [PMID: 35362148 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Identifying reservoir host species is crucial for understanding the ecology of multi-host pathogens and predicting risks of pathogen spillover from wildlife to people. Predictive models are increasingly used for identifying ecological traits and prioritizing surveillance of likely zoonotic reservoirs, but these often employ different types of evidence for establishing host associations. Comparisons between models with different infection evidence are necessary to guide inferences about the trait profiles of likely hosts and identify which hosts and geographical regions are likely sources of spillover. Here, we use New World rodent-orthohantavirus associations to explore differences in the performance and predictions of models trained on two types of evidence for infection and onward transmission: RT-PCR and live virus isolation data, representing active infections versus host competence, respectively. Orthohantaviruses are primarily carried by muroid rodents and cause the diseases haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS) in humans. We show that although boosted regression tree (BRT) models trained on RT-PCR and live virus isolation data both performed well and capture generally similar trait profiles, rodent phylogeny influenced previously collected RT-PCR data, and BRTs using virus isolation data displayed a narrower list of predicted reservoirs than those using RT-PCR data. BRT models trained on RT-PCR data identified 138 undiscovered hosts and virus isolation models identified 92 undiscovered hosts, with 27 undiscovered hosts identified by both models. Distributions of predicted hosts were concentrated in several different regions for each model, with large discrepancies between evidence types. As a form of validation, virus isolation models independently predicted several orthohantavirus-rodent host associations that had been previously identified through empirical research using RT-PCR. Our model predictions provide a priority list of species and locations for future orthohantavirus sampling. More broadly, these results demonstrate the value of multiple data types for predicting zoonotic pathogen hosts. These methods can be applied across a range of systems to improve our understanding of pathogen maintenance and increase efficiency of pathogen surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel Mull
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Colin J Carlson
- Center for Global Health Science and Security, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kristian M Forbes
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Daniel J Becker
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
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7
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Hansen D, Hunt BE, Falvo CA, Ruiz-Aravena M, Kessler MK, Hall J, Thompson P, Rose K, Jones DN, Lunn TJ, Dale AS, Peel AJ, Plowright RK. Morphological and quantitative analysis of leukocytes in free-living Australian black flying foxes (Pteropus alecto). PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268549. [PMID: 35613104 PMCID: PMC9132326 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The black flying fox (Pteropus alecto) is a natural reservoir for Hendra virus, a paramyxovirus that causes fatal infections in humans and horses in Australia. Increased excretion of Hendra virus by flying foxes has been hypothesized to be associated with physiological or energetic stress in the reservoir hosts. The objective of this study was to explore the leukocyte profiles of wild-caught P. alecto, with a focus on describing the morphology of each cell type to facilitate identification for clinical purposes and future virus spillover research. To this end, we have created an atlas of images displaying the commonly observed morphological variations across each cell type. We provide quantitative and morphological information regarding the leukocyte profiles in bats captured at two roost sites located in Redcliffe and Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia, over the course of two years. We examined the morphology of leukocytes, platelets, and erythrocytes of P. alecto using cytochemical staining and characterization of blood films through light microscopy. Leukocyte profiles were broadly consistent with previous studies of P. alecto and other Pteropus species. A small proportion of individual samples presented evidence of hemoparasitic infection or leukocyte morphological traits that are relevant for future research on bat health, including unique large granular lymphocytes. Considering hematology is done by visual inspection of blood smears, examples of the varied cell morphologies are included as a visual guide. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first qualitative assessment of P. alecto leukocytes, as well as the first set of published hematology reference images for this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale Hansen
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Brooklin E. Hunt
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States of America
| | - Caylee A. Falvo
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States of America
| | - Manuel Ruiz-Aravena
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States of America
| | - Maureen K. Kessler
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States of America
| | - Jane Hall
- Australian Registry of Wildlife Health, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
| | - Paul Thompson
- Taronga Wildlife Hospital, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Taronga Zoo, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Karrie Rose
- Australian Registry of Wildlife Health, Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Devin N. Jones
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States of America
| | - Tamika J. Lunn
- Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
| | - Adrienne S. Dale
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, United States of America
| | - Alison J. Peel
- Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
| | - Raina K. Plowright
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States of America
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8
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Downs I, Johnson JC, Rossi F, Dyer D, Saunders DL, Twenhafel NA, Esham HL, Pratt WD, Trefry J, Zumbrun E, Facemire PR, Johnston SC, Tompkins EL, Jansen NK, Honko A, Cardile AP. Natural History of Aerosol-Induced Ebola Virus Disease in Rhesus Macaques. Viruses 2021; 13:v13112297. [PMID: 34835103 PMCID: PMC8619410 DOI: 10.3390/v13112297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a serious global health concern because case fatality rates are approximately 50% due to recent widespread outbreaks in Africa. Well-defined nonhuman primate (NHP) models for different routes of Ebola virus exposure are needed to test the efficacy of candidate countermeasures. In this natural history study, four rhesus macaques were challenged via aerosol with a target titer of 1000 plaque-forming units per milliliter of Ebola virus. The course of disease was split into the following stages for descriptive purposes: subclinical, clinical, and decompensated. During the subclinical stage, high levels of venous partial pressure of carbon dioxide led to respiratory acidemia in three of four of the NHPs, and all developed lymphopenia. During the clinical stage, all animals had fever, viremia, and respiratory alkalosis. The decompensatory stage involved coagulopathy, cytokine storm, and liver and renal injury. These events were followed by hypotension, elevated lactate, metabolic acidemia, shock and mortality similar to historic intramuscular challenge studies. Viral loads in the lungs of aerosol-exposed animals were not distinctly different compared to previous intramuscularly challenged studies. Differences in the aerosol model, compared to intramuscular model, include an extended subclinical stage, shortened clinical stage, and general decompensated stage. Therefore, the shortened timeframe for clinical detection of the aerosol-induced disease can impair timely therapeutic administration. In summary, this nonhuman primate model of aerosol-induced EVD characterizes early disease markers and additional details to enable countermeasure development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Downs
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.C.J.); (F.R.); (D.D.); (D.L.S.); (N.A.T.); (H.L.E.); (W.D.P.); (J.T.); (E.Z.); (P.R.F.); (S.C.J.); (E.L.T.); (N.K.J.); (A.H.); (A.P.C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-301-619-0369
| | - Joshua C. Johnson
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.C.J.); (F.R.); (D.D.); (D.L.S.); (N.A.T.); (H.L.E.); (W.D.P.); (J.T.); (E.Z.); (P.R.F.); (S.C.J.); (E.L.T.); (N.K.J.); (A.H.); (A.P.C.)
- Moderna, Inc., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Franco Rossi
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.C.J.); (F.R.); (D.D.); (D.L.S.); (N.A.T.); (H.L.E.); (W.D.P.); (J.T.); (E.Z.); (P.R.F.); (S.C.J.); (E.L.T.); (N.K.J.); (A.H.); (A.P.C.)
| | - David Dyer
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.C.J.); (F.R.); (D.D.); (D.L.S.); (N.A.T.); (H.L.E.); (W.D.P.); (J.T.); (E.Z.); (P.R.F.); (S.C.J.); (E.L.T.); (N.K.J.); (A.H.); (A.P.C.)
| | - David L. Saunders
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.C.J.); (F.R.); (D.D.); (D.L.S.); (N.A.T.); (H.L.E.); (W.D.P.); (J.T.); (E.Z.); (P.R.F.); (S.C.J.); (E.L.T.); (N.K.J.); (A.H.); (A.P.C.)
| | - Nancy A. Twenhafel
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.C.J.); (F.R.); (D.D.); (D.L.S.); (N.A.T.); (H.L.E.); (W.D.P.); (J.T.); (E.Z.); (P.R.F.); (S.C.J.); (E.L.T.); (N.K.J.); (A.H.); (A.P.C.)
| | - Heather L. Esham
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.C.J.); (F.R.); (D.D.); (D.L.S.); (N.A.T.); (H.L.E.); (W.D.P.); (J.T.); (E.Z.); (P.R.F.); (S.C.J.); (E.L.T.); (N.K.J.); (A.H.); (A.P.C.)
| | - William D. Pratt
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.C.J.); (F.R.); (D.D.); (D.L.S.); (N.A.T.); (H.L.E.); (W.D.P.); (J.T.); (E.Z.); (P.R.F.); (S.C.J.); (E.L.T.); (N.K.J.); (A.H.); (A.P.C.)
| | - John Trefry
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.C.J.); (F.R.); (D.D.); (D.L.S.); (N.A.T.); (H.L.E.); (W.D.P.); (J.T.); (E.Z.); (P.R.F.); (S.C.J.); (E.L.T.); (N.K.J.); (A.H.); (A.P.C.)
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060, USA
| | - Elizabeth Zumbrun
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.C.J.); (F.R.); (D.D.); (D.L.S.); (N.A.T.); (H.L.E.); (W.D.P.); (J.T.); (E.Z.); (P.R.F.); (S.C.J.); (E.L.T.); (N.K.J.); (A.H.); (A.P.C.)
| | - Paul R. Facemire
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.C.J.); (F.R.); (D.D.); (D.L.S.); (N.A.T.); (H.L.E.); (W.D.P.); (J.T.); (E.Z.); (P.R.F.); (S.C.J.); (E.L.T.); (N.K.J.); (A.H.); (A.P.C.)
| | - Sara C. Johnston
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.C.J.); (F.R.); (D.D.); (D.L.S.); (N.A.T.); (H.L.E.); (W.D.P.); (J.T.); (E.Z.); (P.R.F.); (S.C.J.); (E.L.T.); (N.K.J.); (A.H.); (A.P.C.)
| | - Erin L. Tompkins
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.C.J.); (F.R.); (D.D.); (D.L.S.); (N.A.T.); (H.L.E.); (W.D.P.); (J.T.); (E.Z.); (P.R.F.); (S.C.J.); (E.L.T.); (N.K.J.); (A.H.); (A.P.C.)
| | - Nathan K. Jansen
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.C.J.); (F.R.); (D.D.); (D.L.S.); (N.A.T.); (H.L.E.); (W.D.P.); (J.T.); (E.Z.); (P.R.F.); (S.C.J.); (E.L.T.); (N.K.J.); (A.H.); (A.P.C.)
| | - Anna Honko
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.C.J.); (F.R.); (D.D.); (D.L.S.); (N.A.T.); (H.L.E.); (W.D.P.); (J.T.); (E.Z.); (P.R.F.); (S.C.J.); (E.L.T.); (N.K.J.); (A.H.); (A.P.C.)
- Investigator at National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Anthony P. Cardile
- US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702, USA; (J.C.J.); (F.R.); (D.D.); (D.L.S.); (N.A.T.); (H.L.E.); (W.D.P.); (J.T.); (E.Z.); (P.R.F.); (S.C.J.); (E.L.T.); (N.K.J.); (A.H.); (A.P.C.)
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9
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Plowright RK, Hudson PJ. From Protein to Pandemic: The Transdisciplinary Approach Needed to Prevent Spillover and the Next Pandemic. Viruses 2021; 13:1298. [PMID: 34372504 PMCID: PMC8310336 DOI: 10.3390/v13071298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Pandemics are a consequence of a series of processes that span scales from viral biology at 10-9 m to global transmission at 106 m. The pathogen passes from one host species to another through a sequence of events that starts with an infected reservoir host and entails interspecific contact, innate immune responses, receptor protein structure within the potential host, and the global spread of the novel pathogen through the naive host population. Each event presents a potential barrier to the onward passage of the virus and should be characterized with an integrated transdisciplinary approach. Epidemic control is based on the prevention of exposure, infection, and disease. However, the ultimate pandemic prevention is prevention of the spillover event itself. Here, we focus on the potential for preventing the spillover of henipaviruses, a group of viruses derived from bats that frequently cross species barriers, incur high human mortality, and are transmitted among humans via stuttering chains. We outline the transdisciplinary approach needed to prevent the spillover process and, therefore, future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raina K. Plowright
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA
| | - Peter J. Hudson
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA;
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10
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Dallas TA, Becker DJ. Taxonomic resolution affects host-parasite association model performance. Parasitology 2021; 148:584-590. [PMID: 33342442 PMCID: PMC10950372 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182020002371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Identifying the factors that structure host–parasite interactions is fundamental to understand the drivers of species distributions and to predict novel cross-species transmission events. More phylogenetically related host species tend to have more similar parasite associations, but parasite specificity may vary as a function of transmission mode, parasite taxonomy or life history. Accordingly, analyses that attempt to infer host−parasite associations using combined data on different parasite groups may perform quite differently relative to analyses on each parasite subset. In essence, are more data always better when predicting host−parasite associations, or does parasite taxonomic resolution matter? Here, we explore how taxonomic resolution affects predictive models of host−parasite associations using the London Natural History Museum's database of host–helminth interactions. Using boosted regression trees, we demonstrate that taxon-specific models (i.e. of Acanthocephalans, Nematodes and Platyhelminthes) consistently outperform full models in predicting mammal-helminth associations. At finer spatial resolutions, full and taxon-specific model performance does not vary, suggesting tradeoffs between phylogenetic and spatial scales of analysis. Although all models identify similar host and parasite covariates as important to such patterns, our results emphasize the importance of phylogenetic scale in the study of host–parasite interactions and suggest that using taxonomic subsets of data may improve predictions of parasite distributions and cross-species transmission. Predictive models of host–pathogen interactions should thus attempt to encompass the spatial resolution and phylogenetic scale desired for inference and prediction and potentially use model averaging or ensemble models to combine predictions from separately trained models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tad A. Dallas
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA70802, USA
| | - Daniel J. Becker
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK73019, USA
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11
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Millán J, Di Cataldo S, Volokhov DV, Becker DJ. Worldwide occurrence of haemoplasmas in wildlife: Insights into the patterns of infection, transmission, pathology and zoonotic potential. Transbound Emerg Dis 2020; 68:3236-3256. [PMID: 33210822 DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Haemotropic mycoplasmas (haemoplasmas) have increasingly attracted the attention of wildlife disease researchers due to a combination of wide host range, high prevalence and genetic diversity. A systematic review identified 75 articles that investigated haemoplasma infection in wildlife by molecular methods (chiefly targeting partial 16S rRNA gene sequences), which included 131 host genera across six orders. Studies were less common in the Eastern Hemisphere (especially Africa and Asia) and more frequent in the Artiodactyla and Carnivora. Meta-analysis showed that infection prevalence did not vary by geographic region nor host order, but wild hosts showed significantly higher prevalence than captive hosts. Using a taxonomically flexible machine learning algorithm, we also found vampire bats and cervids to have greater prevalence, whereas mink, a subclade of vesper bats, and true foxes all had lower prevalence compared to the remaining sampled mammal phylogeny. Haemoplasma genotype and nucleotide diversity varied little among wild mammals but were marginally lower in primates and bats. Coinfection with more than one haemoplasma species or genotype was always confirmed when assessed. Risk factors of infection identified were sociality, age, males and high trophic levels, and both prevalence and diversity were often higher in undisturbed environments. Haemoplasmas likely use different and concurrent transmission routes and typically display enzootic dynamics when wild populations are studied longitudinally. Haemoplasma pathology is poorly known in wildlife but appears subclinical. Candidatus Mycoplasma haematohominis, which causes disease in humans, probably has it natural host in bats. Haemoplasmas can serve as a model system in ecological and evolutionary studies, and future research on these pathogens in wildlife must focus on increasing the geographic range and taxa of studies and elucidating pathology, transmission and zoonotic potential. To facilitate such work, we recommend using universal PCR primers or NGS protocols to detect novel haemoplasmas and other genetic markers to differentiate among species and infer cross-species transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Millán
- Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón-IA2 (Universidad de Zaragoza-CITA), Zaragoza, Spain.,Fundación ARAID, Zaragoza, Spain.,Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andres Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Sophia Di Cataldo
- Programa de Doctorado en Medicina de la Conservación, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Dmitriy V Volokhov
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Daniel J Becker
- Department of Biology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA
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