Marburg Virus Infection in Egyptian Rousette Bats, South Africa, 2013-20141.

Janusz T Pawęska,Nadia Storm,Alan Kemp,Antoinette A Grobbelaar,Gustavo Palacios,Petrus Jansen Van Vuren,Wanda Markotter,Michael R Wiley

doi:10.3201/eid2406.172165

Abstract

We detected a high seroprevalence of Marburg virus (MARV) antibodies in fruit bats in South Africa; 19.1% of recaptured bats seroconverted. The MARV RNA isolated closely resembled the 1975 Ozolin strain. These findings indicate endemic MARV circulation in bats in South Africa and should inform policies on MARV disease risk reduction.

Highlights

We detected a high seroprevalence of Marburg virus (MARV) antibodies in fruit bats in South Africa; 19.1% of recaptured bats seroconverted
Outbreaks of MVD in Africa have been associated with persons entering caves or mines [5,6,7,8], and results of outbreak investigations and ecologic and experimental studies implicate the Egyptian rousette bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) as the prime reservoir host for MARV [9,10,11,12,13]
As part of a biosurveillance program in South Africa investigating the presence of viral zoonotic pathogens in bats, we tested a local population of Egyptian rousette bats for evidence of MARV infection

Summary

Introduction

We detected a high seroprevalence of Marburg virus (MARV) antibodies in fruit bats in South Africa; 19.1% of recaptured bats seroconverted. Outbreaks of MVD in Africa have been associated with persons entering caves or mines [5,6,7,8], and results of outbreak investigations and ecologic and experimental studies implicate the Egyptian rousette bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) as the prime reservoir host for MARV [9,10,11,12,13]. As part of a biosurveillance program in South Africa investigating the presence of viral zoonotic pathogens in bats, we tested a local population of Egyptian rousette bats for evidence of MARV infection.

Results

Conclusion