Henipavirus-related Sequences in Fruit Bat Bushmeat, Republic of Congo

Sabrina Weiss,Gudrun Wibbelt,Jean-Vivien Mombouli,Fabian H Leendertz,Jakob Fahr,Kathrin Nowak,Henri-Joseph Parra,Bradley S Schneider,Nathan D Wolfe

doi:10.3201/eid1809.111607

Abstract

To the Editor: Bats are hosts for various emerging viruses, including the zoonotic paramyxoviruses Hendra virus and Nipah virus, which occur in Australia and Southeast Asia, respectively, and cause severe disease outbreaks among humans and livestock (1). Antibodies and henipavirus-related RNA have also been found in the straw-colored fruit bat, Eidolon helvum, in Ghana, West Africa (2,3). These bats are a chief protein source for humans in sub-Saharan Africa and are therefore targeted by hunters (4,5). This practice raises special concern about the risk for virus transmission from bats to humans.

Highlights

To the Editor: Bats are hosts for various emerging viruses, including the zoonotic paramyxoviruses Hendra virus and Nipah virus, which occur in Australia and Southeast Asia, respectively, and cause severe disease outbreaks among humans and livestock [1]
Antibodies and henipavirusrelated RNA have been found in the straw-colored fruit bat, Eidolon helvum, in Ghana, West Africa [2,3]
Eidolon paramyxovirus (EPMV) sequences are shown to form at least 3 distinct groups in the Paramyxoviridae family (Figure, Appendix, panel A, wwwnc. cdc.gov/EID/article/18/9/11-1607-F1. htm) and seem to be highly diverse compared with other paramyxovirus genera

Summary

Introduction

To the Editor: Bats are hosts for various emerging viruses, including the zoonotic paramyxoviruses Hendra virus and Nipah virus, which occur in Australia and Southeast Asia, respectively, and cause severe disease outbreaks among humans and livestock [1]. Antibodies and henipavirusrelated RNA have been found in the straw-colored fruit bat, Eidolon helvum, in Ghana, West Africa [2,3]. A total of 339 samples collected from 42 bats were tested for paramyxovirus RNA by PCR targeting L-gene sequences of respirovirus, morbillivirus, and henipavirus [6].

Results

Conclusion