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. 2009 Sep 28:9:159.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-9-159.

Large serological survey showing cocirculation of Ebola and Marburg viruses in Gabonese bat populations, and a high seroprevalence of both viruses in Rousettus aegyptiacus

Xavier Pourrut  1 , Marc Souris, Jonathan S Towner, Pierre E Rollin, Stuart T Nichol, Jean-Paul Gonzalez, Eric Leroy
Affiliations

Large serological survey showing cocirculation of Ebola and Marburg viruses in Gabonese bat populations, and a high seroprevalence of both viruses in Rousettus aegyptiacus

Xavier Pourrut et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Ebola and Marburg viruses cause highly lethal hemorrhagic fevers in humans. Recently, bats of multiple species have been identified as possible natural hosts of Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV) in Gabon and Republic of Congo, and also of marburgvirus (MARV) in Gabon and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Methods: We tested 2147 bats belonging to at least nine species sampled between 2003 and 2008 in three regions of Gabon and in the Ebola epidemic region of north Congo for IgG antibodies specific for ZEBOV and MARV.

Results: Overall, IgG antibodies to ZEBOV and MARV were found in 4% and 1% of bats, respectively. ZEBOV-specific antibodies were found in six bat species (Epomops franqueti, Hypsignathus monstrosus, Myonycteris torquata, Micropteropus pusillus, Mops condylurus and Rousettus aegyptiacus), while MARV-specific antibodies were only found in Rousettus aegyptiacus and Hypsignathus monstrosus. The prevalence of MARV-specific IgG was significantly higher in R. aegyptiacus members captured inside caves than elsewhere. No significant difference in prevalence was found according to age or gender. A higher prevalence of ZEBOV-specific IgG was found in pregnant females than in non pregnant females.

Conclusion: These findings confirm that ZEBOV and MARV co-circulate in Gabon, the only country where bats infected by each virus have been found. IgG antibodies to both viruses were detected only in Rousettus aegyptiacus, suggesting that this bat species may be involved in the natural cycle of both Marburg and Ebola viruses. The presence of MARV in Gabon indicates a potential risk for a first human outbreak. Disease surveillance should be enhanced in areas near caves.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Map of Gabon and Republic of Congo. Sampling sites and sampled bat species are shown. The circles represent the sampling sites in Gabon and RC. The distribution (percentage) of the different captured bat species is represented by the different colors indicated in the box.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Determination of ZEBOV- and MARV-specific IgG prevalence cutoffs. The cut-off values were calculated assuming a negative exponential distribution of positive optical densities (OD). With a 0.001 risk of error, the cut-off was 0.31 for both Ebola and Marburg.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Corrected ODs and antibody titers in ZEBOV - and MARV-positive bats. The left side of the figure shows corrected OD values of 1:100-diluted bat sera with values higher than the 0.31 cutoff (solid horizontal bar). The numbers of sera used to calculate the values are shown to the right of the corresponding symbol. The right side of the figure shows IgG titers of sera with corrected OD values above 0.31. The numbers of sera used to calculate the values are shown to the right of the corresponding symbol.
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