Longitudinal Secretion of Paramyxovirus RNA in the Urine of Straw-Coloured Fruit Bats (Eidolon helvum).

Elli Rosa Jolma,Andrew A Cunningham,Olivier Restif,Grace Fleischer,Sylvester Languon,Samuel Asumah,Richard D Suu-Ire,James L N Wood,Louise Gibson

doi:10.3390/v13081654

Abstract

The straw-coloured fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa and is widely hunted for bushmeat. It is known to harbour a range of paramyxoviruses, including rubuloviruses and henipaviruses, but the zoonotic potential of these is unknown. We previously found a diversity of paramyxoviruses within a small, captive colony of E. helvum after it had been closed to contact with other bats for 5 years. In this study, we used under-roost urine collection to further investigate the paramyxovirus diversity and ecology in this colony, which had been closed to the outside for 10 years at the time of sampling. By sampling urine weekly throughout an entire year, we investigated possible seasonal patterns of shedding of virus or viral RNA. Using a generic paramyxovirus L-gene PCR, we detected eight distinct paramyxovirus RNA sequences. Six distinct sequences were detected using a Henipavirus-specific PCR that targeted a different region of the L-gene. Sequence detection had a bi-annual pattern, with the greatest peak in July, although different RNA sequences appeared to have different shedding patterns. No significant associations were detected between sequence detection and birthing season, environmental temperature or humidity, and no signs of illness were detected in any of the bats in the colony during the period of sample collection.

Highlights

Bats host a huge number and diversity of viruses and have been identified as the source of a range of recently emerged viruses of public health significance, including Hendra virus, Nipah virus, MERS coronavirus and probably SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19 [1,2]
Understanding the ecology of these viruses in their natural hosts, such as how they persist in bat populations, and possible risk factors for human infection is necessary for preventing zoonotic spill-over events [3,4]
Two were within the genus Pararubulavirus (AZ_PAR_44, AZ_PAR_198), one in Orthorubulavirus (AZ_PAR_10B), and five were related to Henipavirus but too distant to be classified within that genus (“Henipa-like” viruses: AZ_PAR_3, AZ_PAR_117, AZ_PAR_162B, AZ_PAR_292, AZ_PAR_317B)

Summary

Introduction

Bats (order Chiroptera) host a huge number and diversity of viruses and have been identified as the source of a range of recently emerged viruses of public health significance, including Hendra virus, Nipah virus, MERS coronavirus and probably SARS-CoV-2, the causative agent of COVID-19 [1,2]. Most human cases of Hendra in Australia [13] and Nipah in Bangladesh follow seasonal patterns [14], and several studies looking into the shedding of paramyxoviruses in bat urine have detected seasonality [15,16]. This seasonality might be partially explained by the reproductive cycles of bats [16,17,18], this effect has not been detected in all studies [19]. Straw-coloured fruit bats roost in large colonies of up to several million individuals and are migratory, making repeated sampling of the same individuals in the wild unlikely [20]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion