Abstract
The genus Sapovirus, in the family Caliciviridae, includes enteric viruses of humans and domestic animals. Information on sapovirus infection of wildlife is limited and is currently lacking for any free-ranging wildlife species in Africa. By screening a large number of predominantly fecal samples (n = 631) obtained from five carnivore species in the Serengeti ecosystem, East Africa, sapovirus RNA was detected in the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta, family Hyaenidae), African lion (Panthera leo, family Felidae), and bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis, family Canidae), but not in golden or silver-backed jackals (Canis aureus and C. mesomelas, respectively, family Canidae). A phylogenetic analysis based on partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene sequences placed the sapovirus strains from African carnivores in a monophyletic group. Within this monophyletic group, sapovirus strains from spotted hyenas formed one independent sub-group, and those from bat-eared fox and African lion a second sub-group. The percentage nucleotide similarity between sapoviruses from African carnivores and those from other species was low (< 70.4%). Long-term monitoring of sapovirus in a population of individually known spotted hyenas from 2001 to 2012 revealed: i) a relatively high overall infection prevalence (34.8%); ii) the circulation of several genetically diverse variants; iii) large fluctuations in infection prevalence across years, indicative of outbreaks; iv) no significant difference in the likelihood of infection between animals in different age categories. The likelihood of sapovirus infection decreased with increasing hyena group size, suggesting an encounter reduction effect, but was independent of socially mediated ano-genital contact, or the extent of the area over which an individual roamed.
Highlights
Knowledge of wildlife pathogens is relatively limited because research is mostly focused on pathogens that threaten the health of humans, livestock and companion animals [1, 2, 3]
Our results extend the host species range for this genus to include the spotted hyena, African lion and bat-eared fox
Sapovirus infection in carnivores worldwide was not known from any species belonging to the Felidae [72], or Hyaenidae, but was reported only for species in the families Otariidae (Californian sea lion) [23], Mustelidae [25] and Canidae [26]
Summary
Knowledge of wildlife pathogens is relatively limited because research is mostly focused on pathogens that threaten the health of humans, livestock and companion animals [1, 2, 3]. Interactions between pathogens and their wildlife hosts are often complex [4, 5, 6, 7] and require long-term interdisciplinary research to unravel [8, 9, 10]. Long-term monitoring of wildlife pathogens from ecosystems where the impact of humans is still relatively small provides a useful benchmark to gage future human-induced changes [15]. Sapovirus is a genetically diverse genus in the family Caliciviridae. Sapovirus infection in humans is associated with either sporadic cases of gastro-enteritis in children or community-wide outbreaks [16,17,18]. The genetic diversity and recombination events observed in sapoviruses may account for their emergence [20]
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