Abstract
A renewed interest in mammalian orthoreoviruses (MRVs) has emerged since new viruses related to bat MRV type 3, detected in Europe, were identified in humans and pigs with gastroenteritis. This study reports the isolation and characterization of a novel reassortant MRV from the lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros). The isolate, here designated BatMRV1-IT2011, was first identified by electron microscopy and confirmed using PCR and virus-neutralization tests. The full genome sequence was obtained by next-generation sequencing. Molecular and antigenic characterizations revealed that BatMRV1-IT2011 belonged to serotype 1, which had not previously been identified in bats. Phylogenetic and recombination detection program analyses suggested that BatMRV1-IT2011 was a reassortant strain containing an S1 genome segment similar to those of MRV T1/bovine/Maryland/Clone23/59 and C/bovine/Indiana/MRV00304/2014, while other segments were more similar to MRVs of different hosts, origins and serotypes. The presence of neutralizing antibodies against MRVs has also been investigated in animals (dogs, pigs, bovines and horses). Preliminary results suggested that MRVs are widespread in animals and that infections containing multiple serotypes, including MRVs of serotype 1 with an S1 gene similar to BatMRV1-IT2011, are common. This paper extends the current knowledge of MRVs and stresses the importance to continue and improve MRV surveillance in bats and other mammals through the development and standardization of specific diagnostic tools.
Highlights
Orthoreoviruses, with mammalian orthoreovirus (MRV) as the type species, are non-enveloped viruses having a segmented dsRNA genome
We showed that MRVs are quite frequently detected in bats and appear genetically more differentiated in comparison with the orthoreoviruses found in other animal species [22]
BatMRV1-IT2011 was isolated by cell culture (Fetal monkey kidney MARC-145) from Sample 191,797 collected in August 2011
Summary
Orthoreoviruses, with mammalian orthoreovirus (MRV) as the type species, are non-enveloped viruses having a segmented dsRNA genome. Neutralization and hemagglutinin activities are restricted to a single reovirus gene segment, S1 [4] This encodes the σ1 protein, located on the outer capsid of the virion, that is responsible for viral attachment to cellular receptors and determines the reovirus serotype [5]. Novel MRVs have recently been identified in several hosts, including bats in Italy and Germany [16,17], and a novel Orthoreovirus, with a high similarity to the MRVs found in bats in Europe, was detected in Slovenia from a child requiring hospitalization due to acute gastroenteritis [15]. A bat-borne fusogenic Orthoreovirus with zoonotic potential was detected from healthy flying foxes (Pteropus vampyrus) legally imported from Indonesia to Europe [19]. This study reports the first isolation and characterization of a new reassortant MRV strain, BatMRV1-IT2011, belonging to serotype 1 from the lesser horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros) in Italy
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