Henipavirus RNA in African bats

Abstract

Background: Henipaviruses (Hendra and Nipah virus) are highly pathogenic members of the family Paramyxoviridae. Fruit-eating bats of the Pteropus genus have been suggested as their natural reservoir. Human Henipavirus infections have been reported in a region extending from Australia via Malaysia into Bangladesh, compatible with the geographic range of Pteropus. These bats do not occur in continental Africa, but a whole range of other fruit bats is encountered. One of the most abundant is Eidolon helvum, the African Straw-coloured fruit bat.

Methodology/principal findings: Feces from E. helvum roosting in an urban setting in Kumasi/Ghana were tested for Henipavirus RNA. Sequences of three novel viruses in phylogenetic relationship to known Henipaviruses were detected. Virus RNA concentrations in feces were low.

Conclusions/significance: The finding of novel putative Henipaviruses outside Australia and Asia contributes a significant extension of the region of potential endemicity of one of the most pathogenic virus genera known in humans.

Figure 1. The Eidolon helvum colony at Kumasi zoological gardens, Ghana.

Photos from A. Seebens and F. Gloza-Rausch.

Figure 2. L-gene phylogeny with novel bat paramyxoviruses.

The phylogenetic tree was generated and annotated using BEAST version 1.4.8, using a codon-based substitution and an expansion growth population model . For better graphic visualization, only posterior probability values below 1.0 are shown. The initial sequence alignment was based on a 496 base pair fragment from PCR screening. Exclusion of primer sites resulted in a 439 bp fragment, and further exclusion of ambiguous sites resulted in a 426 base pairs gap-free alignment corresponding to nucleotides 9993–10430 of Human parainfluenza virus 1 strain Washington/1964, GenBank Accession Number NC_003461. Novel bat paramyxoviruses are shown in boldface type. GenBank Accession numbers of the novel viruses are FJ609191 (BatPV/Eid.hel/GH10/2008), FJ609194 (BatPV/Eid.hel/GH48/2008) and GQ168929 (BatPV/Eid.hel/GH45/2008). Branches leading to the Henipavirus genus are in red color. Established genera in the Paramyxoviridae family are indicated next to taxon names. Taxa are named according to the following pattern: Genus/typical host/virus abbreviation/accession number/isolation year. HenipaV = Henipavirus, MorbilliV = Morbillivirus, RespiroV = Respirovirus, RubulaV = Rubulavirus, AvulaV = Avulavirus, MetapneumoV = Metapneumovirus, PneumoV = Pneumovirus, UPV = unclassified paramyxovirus. NiV = Nipah virus, HeV = Hendra virus, PPRV = Peste-des-petitsruminants virus, CeMV DMV = Cetacean morbillivirus strain dolphin morbillivirus, MeV = Measles virus, RPV = Rinderpest virus, PDV = Phocine distemper virus, CDV = Canine distemper virus, SeV = Sendai virus, bPIV3 = Bovine parainfluenza virus 3, hPIV1 = Human parainfluenza virus 1, hPIV3 = Human parainfluenza virus 3, SV5 = Simian parainfluenza virus 5, SV41 = Simian virus 41, MenPV = Menangle virus, MprPV = Mapuera virus, MuV = Mumps virus, PorPV = Porcine rubulavirus, TioPV = Tioman virus, hPIV2 = Human parainfluenza virus 2, aMPV4 = Avian paramyxovirus type 4, aMPV6 = Avian paramyxovirus type 6, aMPV9 = Avian paramyxovirus type 9, aMPV2 = Avian paramyxovirus type 2, aMPV3 = Avian paramyxovirus type 3, NDV = Newcastle disease virus, hMPV = Human metapneumovirus, aMPV = Avian metapneumovirus, MPV = Murine pneumonia virus, bRSV = Bovine respiratory syncytial virus, hRSV = Human respiratory syncytial virus, NarPV = Nariva virus, ASPV = Atlantic salmon paramyxovirus, TuPV = Tupaia paramyxovirus, MosPV = Mossman virus, BeiPV = Beilong virus, JPV = J virus, FdlPV = Fer-de-lance virus.