Abstract
BackgroundZoonotic transmission events play a major role in the emergence of novel diseases. While such events are virtually impossible to predict, wildlife screening for potential emerging pathogens can be a first step. Driven by recent disease epidemics like severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and Ebola, bats have gained special interest as reservoirs of emerging viruses.MethodsAs part of a bigger study investigating pathogens in African bats we screened animals for the presence of known and unknown viruses.ResultsWe isolated and characterised a novel reovirus from blood of free-tailed bats (Chaereophon aloysiisabaudiae) captured in 2006 in Côte d’Ivoire. The virus showed closest relationship with two human pathogenic viruses, Colorado tick fever virus and Eyach virus, and was able to infect various human cell lines in vitro.ConclusionThe study shows the presence of a coltivirus-related virus in bats from Sub-Sahara Africa. Serological studies could help to assess its impact on humans or wildlife health.
Highlights
Zoonotic transmission events play a major role in the emergence of novel diseases
We describe a novel reovirus, designated Taï Forest reovirus (TFRV), which is closely related to coltiviruses, a genus not described in bats before, isolated from blood of African free-tailed bats (Chaereophon aloysiisabaudiae)
Assembled sequences of the novel virus showed homology to two viruses exclusively, Colorado tick fever virus (CTFV) and Eyach virus (EYAV), which together form the genus Coltivirus. This was confirmed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) pictures showing particles of approximately 70 nm in diameter and typical inner and outer icosahedral capsids, which are characteristic for reoviruses (Fig 1)
Summary
Zoonotic transmission events play a major role in the emergence of novel diseases. While such events are virtually impossible to predict, wildlife screening for potential emerging pathogens can be a first step. Bats have gained special interest as potential reservoirs of emerging viruses such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and Ebola [2, 3]. CTFV is the etiologic agent of a febrile human disease, Colorado tick fever, occurring in the Rocky Mountains in the Western United States and Canada [16,17,18]. It is rarely fatal but can cause severe complications like encephalitis, haemorrhage, or pericarditis, especially in children [19]. Animal reservoirs of coltiviruses are small mammals like rodents and lagomorphs and transmission to humans
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