Divergent lineage of a novel hantavirus in the banana pipistrelle (Neoromicia nanus) in Côte d'Ivoire

Abstract

Recently identified hantaviruses harbored by shrews and moles (order Soricomorpha) suggest that other mammals having shared ancestry may serve as reservoirs. To investigate this possibility, archival tissues from 213 insectivorous bats (order Chiroptera) were analyzed for hantavirus RNA by RT-PCR. Following numerous failed attempts, hantavirus RNA was detected in ethanol-fixed liver tissue from two banana pipistrelles (Neoromicia nanus), captured near Mouyassué village in Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa, in June 2011. Phylogenetic analysis of partial L-segment sequences using maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods revealed that the newfound hantavirus, designated Mouyassué virus (MOUV), was highly divergent and basal to all other rodent- and soricomorph-borne hantaviruses, except for Nova virus in the European common mole (Talpa europaea). Full genome sequencing of MOUV and further surveys of other bat species for hantaviruses, now underway, will provide critical insights into the evolution and diversification of hantaviruses.

Figure 1

(A) Banana pipistrelle (Neoromicia nanus) in which hantavirus RNA was detected. (B) Capture site of banana pipistrelles near Mouyassué village in Aboisso District. (C) Map of Côte d'Ivoire, showing Mouyassué, Azagny and Mont Péko, where insectivorous bats were captured. The geographic range of the banana pipistrelle extends throughout sub-Saharan Africa (shaded area in inset).

Figure 2

Phylogenetic trees were generated by maximum-likelihood and Bayesian methods, under the GTR+I+Γ model of evolution, based on a 423-nucleotide L-genomic segment of Mouyassué virus (MOUV KB576) (GenBank JQ287716). Since tree topologies were similar using RAxML, PAUP* and MrBayes, the tree generated by MrBayes was displayed. The numbers at each node are posterior probabilities. The scale bar indicates nucleotide substitutions per site. The phylogenetic position of MOUV is shown in relation to representative soricomorph-borne hantaviruses, including Thottapalayam virus (TPMV VRC66412: EU001330) from the Asian house shrew (Suncus murinus), Imjin virus (MJNV Cl05-11: EF641806) from the Ussuri white-toothed shrew (Crocidura lasiura), Jeju virus (JJUV SH42: HQ663935) from the Asian lesser white-toothed shrew (Crocidura shantungensis), Tanganya virus (TGNV Tan826: EF050454) from the Therese's shrew (Crocidura theresae), Azagny virus (AZGV KBM15: JF276228) from the West African pygmy shrew (Crocidura obscurior), Cao Bang virus (CBNV CBN-3: EF543525) from the Chinese mole shrew (Anourosorex squamipes), Ash River virus (ARRV MSB73418: EF619961) from the masked shrew (Sorex cinereus), Jemez Springs virus (JMSV MSB144475: FJ593501) from the dusky shrew (Sorex monticolus), Seewis virus (SWSV mp70: EF636026) from the Eurasian common shrew (Sorex araneus), Kenkeme virus (KKMV MSB148794: GQ306150) from the flat-skulled shrew (Sorex roboratus), Qiandao Lake virus (QDLV YN05-284: GU566021) from the stripe-backed shrew (Sorex cylindricauda), Camp Ripley virus (RPLV MSB89863: EF540771) from the northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda), Asama virus (ASAV N10: EU929078) from the Japanese shrew mole (Urotrichus talpoides), Oxbow virus (OXBV Ng1453: FJ593497) from the American shrew mole (Neurotrichus gibbsii), Rockport virus (RKPV MSB57412: HM015221) from the eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus), and Nova virus (NVAV MSB95703: FJ593498) from the European common mole (Talpa europaea). Also shown are rodent-borne hantaviruses, including Hantaan virus (HTNV 76-118: NC_005222), Soochong virus (SOOV SOO-1: DQ562292), Dobrava virus (DOBV Greece: NC_005235), Seoul virus (SEOV HR80-39: NC_005238), Tula virus (TULV M5302v: NC_005226), Puumala virus (PUUV Sotkamo: NC_005225), Prospect Hill virus (PHV PH-1: EF646763), Andes virus (ANDV Chile-9717869: NC_003468), and Sin Nombre virus (SNV NMH10: NC_005217).